Background


The Commission authorizes and monitors public charter schools/programs including those that are brick and mortar, virtual, and blended. These guidelines reflect the responsibilities of the Commission and Governing Boards to inform effective development, implementation, and oversight of virtual and blended models of instruction and assure these learning environments enhance the quality and success of student learning and outcomes. Public charter schools whose educational program includes the delivery of instruction through a virtual and/or blended learning model are required to employ and assign appropriately licensed teachers to every student enrolled in their school. (302D-25.a.1)(302A)

***Note: The Commission does not authorize homeschool programs.

I. Definitions

Data Disaggregation: Framework data of programs offering multiple authorized instructional delivery models (i.e., brick and mortar, virtual and blended) collected from normally reported information shall be separated by individual program type.

Learning Environments

  • Blended: A combination of developmentally appropriate online virtual and face-to-face instruction.
  • Brick and Mortar: Face-to-face instruction that takes place in a physical school facility or authorized locations.
  • Distance Learning: A temporary arrangement under exigent circumstances related to health and safety allowing the school’s brick and mortar program and curriculum to be conducted online or with a modified blended program.
  • Virtual: An online environment that incorporates a developmentally appropriate blend of synchronous and asynchronous instruction.
  • Homeschool: Access to curriculum without instruction from a licensed Hawaiʻi teacher employed by the charter school.


Qualified Teachers
As with brick and mortar programs, teachers assigned to virtual and blended learning models must be appropriately licensed in the academic fields and grade levels in which he/she is teaching. The Commission is charged with ensuring that all students enrolled in public charter schools receive instruction from teachers licensed by the Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) or enrolled in a State Approved Teacher Education Program (SATEP) as required by state law.

II. Requirements for All Virtual and Blended Schools/Programs Authorized by the Commission

  1. Follow the terms of their contract outlined in the Commission’s performance frameworks (academic, financial, and organizational).
  2. Allow the Commission to review actual costs for virtual and blended students.
  3. Develop and provide for review the curriculum tailored to the school’s educational program that minimally includes:
    1. Alignment with the school’s mission and vision;
    2. Alignment with Hawaiʻi State Standards; and
    3. Alignment and coherence with all their academic programs, as applicable
  4. Provide a copy of the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association approved teacher evaluation process specific for their virtual and blended program teachers.
  5. Provide annual disaggregated data/information, as noted below:
    1. Academic: To enable the analysis of the school’s virtual and/or blended learning program, the school shall:
      1. Identify and disaggregate data for all students enrolled as brick and mortar, virtual, and blended.
      2. This data shall be disaggregated by the school annually and be included in the school’s renewal application for Commission consideration.
    2. Financial: Identify and itemize all cost items including, but not limited to:
      1. Specialized training and support;
      2. Dates and supplemental pay for recall days;
      3. Cost, including fringe, for each teacher and administrator
    3. Personnel: Provide a listing of the teacher(s) and administrator(s) employed for the virtual and/or blended learning program as differentiated from those supporting any brick-and-mortar program. The school shall include the following information:
      1. Teacher certifications and professional qualifications, including any specifically related to teaching in an online format;
      2. Administrator certifications or qualifications to evaluate a teacher in the virtual and blended program;
      3. Evidence that teachers employed to teach the blended and/or virtual classes are evaluated for performance;
      4. A student to teacher ratio for every class being taught by each teacher employed for the school/program in compliance with the HSTA contract; and
      5. A description and evidence of support for professional development completed by and planned for its virtual and blended teacher(s).
  6. Demonstrate and implement enrollment plans and accommodations ensuring fair and equal access for all students.

III. New Charter School Applicant
The following questions are part of the charter application:

A. Finance and Governance

  1. What are the costs associated with the proposed virtual and/or blended school/program and its various components?
  2. How will these costs change over the life of the proposed contract?
  3. How are these costs affected by different student populations and contextual factors?
  4. What are the implications for weights and adjustments in the accountability or funding system due to the proposed virtual and/or blended program?
  5. How will the proposed program operate? Please provide a 5-year budget showing a breakdown of teacher costs (including specialized training, dates and supplemental pay for recall days if necessary), facilities, technology, internet access, curriculum, and any other associated costs.
  6. What is the proposed demographic breakdown of the students to be served through this program, e.g. Free and Reduced Lunch, geographic home location, grade level, general demographics?
  7. What geographic area(s) will the proposed program serve?
  8. How is the proposed program staffing model sufficient to address all of the requirements of instruction, reporting, and oversight?

B. Instructional Program Quality

  1. What is the educational need served by this school/program?
  2. What differentiates this school/program from other programs in the community(ies) to be served?
  3. What process was used to decide on the proposed curriculum and curricular model/mode of delivery?
  4. How is the proposed curriculum aligned to the Hawaiʻi State Standards?
  5. What might a scope and sequence for each grade level served look like?
  6. In addition to the state assessments (i.e., Smarter Balanced Assessment, Kaiapuni Assessment of Educational Outcomes (KĀ‘EO), Hawaiʻi State Alternate Assessment, WIDA), what other measures will be employed to evaluate student progress and growth?
  7. Where and how will state testing be implemented for all students?
  8. How will staff monitor progress and ensure that students are meeting the required standards?
  9. How will students demonstrate subject mastery leading to eligibility for promotion?
  10. How will struggling students be identified and supported?
  11. What does the weekly instructional schedule look like for each grade band (i.e. elementary, middle, high)?

C. Teacher and Administrator Qualifications to run a Virtual and/or Blended School/Program

  1. What specific training have the proposed teacher(s) and administrators(s) completed that addresses the unique needs of virtual and or blended learning?
  2. What are the qualifications of administrator(s) to evaluate, manage, and support teachers of virtual and/or blended learning students?
  3. How will the school provide professional development and support to virtual and/or blended learning teachers?


D. Special Education and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973:

  1. How will the proposed program meet the requirements of the following:
    1. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and
    2. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504).


IV. Charter Schools Seeking to ADD a Virtual and /or Blended Program

  1. Submit a written request to the Commission to add a virtual and/or blended program as an amendment to the charter contract.
  2. Provide:
    1. State assessment results in language arts, math, and science covering the most recent three-year period for your existing school;
    2. Evidence the school has met its current Academic Performance Framework targets; and
    3. Additional assessment results and measurements used to evaluate learning progress covering the most recent three-year period.
  3. Organizational and Financial Performance of the current school must be in compliance with existing school contract.


**Applicants must answer the following questions:


A. Finance and Governance

  1. What are the costs associated with the proposed virtual and/or blended
    program and its various components?
  2. How will these costs change over the life of the contract?
  3. How are these costs affected by different student populations and contextual factors?
  4. What are the implications for weights and adjustments in the accountability or
    funding system due to the proposed virtual and/or blended program?
  5. How will the proposed program operate? Please provide a 5-year budget showing a breakdown of teacher costs (including specialized training, dates and supplemental pay for recall days if necessary), facilities, technology, internet access, curriculum, and any other associated costs.
  6. What is the demographic breakdown of the students to be served through this program (e.g. Free and Reduced Lunch, geographic home location, grade levels, general demographics)?
  7. What geographic area(s) will the proposed program serve?
  8. How is your proposed program staffing model sufficient to address all of the requirements of instruction, reporting, and oversight?


B. Instructional Program Quality

  1. What is the educational need served by this program?
  2. What differentiates this program from other programs in the community(ies) to be served?
  3. What process was used to decide on the proposed curriculum and curricular model/mode of delivery?
  4. How is the proposed curriculum aligned to the Hawaiʻi State Standards?
  5. What might a scope and sequence for each grade level served look like?
  6. In addition to the state assessments (i.e., Smarter Balanced Assessment, Kaiapuni Assessment of Educational Outcomes (KĀ‘EO), Hawaiʻi State Alternate Assessment, WIDA), what other measures will be employed to evaluate student progress and growth?
  7. Where and how will state testing be implemented for all students?
  8. How will students demonstrate subject mastery leading to eligibility for promotion?
  9. How will struggling students be identified and supported?
  10. What does the weekly instructional schedule look like for each grade band (i.e. elementary, middle, high)?


C. Teacher and Administrator Qualifications to run a Virtual or Blended School/Program

  1. What specific training have the proposed teacher(s) and administrator(s) completed that address the unique needs of virtual and/or blended learning?
  2. What are the qualifications of administrator(s) to evaluate, manage, and support teachers of virtual and/or blended learning students?
  3. How will the school provide professional development and support to virtual and/or blended learning teachers?

D. Special Education and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requirements:

  1. How will the proposed program meet the requirements of the following:
    1. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and
    2. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504)


V. Charter Schools Seeking to Expand Grade Levels in an Authorized Virtual and/or Blended School/Program

  1. Submit a written request to the Commission to expand a virtual and/or blended program as an amendment to the charter contract.
  2. Provide:
    1. State assessment results compared to statewide and complex area data, in language arts, math, and science covering the most recent three-year period, for the existing virtual/blended program as compared to statewide and complex area data.
    2. Evidence the current virtual/blended program has met its current Academic Performance Framework targets; and
    3. Additional assessment results and measurements used to evaluate learning progress covering the most recent three-year period of the virtual/blended program.
  3. Organizational and Financial Performance of the current school must be in compliance with their existing school contract.


**Applicants must answer the following questions:


A. Finance and Governance

  1. What are the costs associated with the proposed expanded virtual and/or blended program and its various components?
  2. How will these costs change over the life of the contract?
  3. How are these costs affected by different student populations and contextual factors?
  4. What are the implications for weights and adjustments in the accountability or funding system due to the proposed expansion of the virtual and/or blended program?
  5. How will the proposed expanded program operate? Please provide a 5-year budget showing a breakdown of teacher costs (including specialized training, dates and supplemental pay for recall days if necessary), facilities, technology, internet access, curriculum, and any other associated costs.
  6. What is the proposed demographic breakdown of the students to be served through this program, e.g. Free and Reduced Lunch, geographic home location, grade level, general demographics?
  7. What geographic area(s) will the proposed expanded program be serving?
  8. How is the proposed expanded program staffing model sufficient to address all of the requirements of reporting and oversight?


B. Instructional Program Quality

  1. What is the educational need served by this program?
  2. What differentiates this program from other programs in the community(ies) to be served?
  3. What process was used to decide on the proposed curriculum and curricular model/mode of delivery?
  4. How is the proposed curriculum aligned to the Hawaiʻi State Standards?
  5. What might a copy of scope and sequence for each grade level served look like?
  6. In addition to the state assessments (i.e., Smarter Balanced Assessment, Kaiapuni Assessment of Educational Outcomes (KĀ‘EO), Hawaii State Alternate Assessment, WIDA), what other measures will be employed to evaluate student progress and growth?
  7. Where and how will state testing be implemented for all students?
  8. How will staff monitor progress and ensure that students are meeting the required standards?
  9. How will students demonstrate subject mastery leading to eligibility for promotion?
  10. How will struggling students be identified and supported?
  11. What does the weekly instructional schedule look like for each grade band (i.e. elementary, middle, high)?


C. Teacher and Administrator Qualifications to run a Virtual or Blended Learning School/Program

  1. What specific training have the proposed teacher(s) and administrator(s) completed that address the unique needs of virtual and/or blended learning?
  2. What are the qualifications of administrator(s) to evaluate, manage, and support teachers of virtual and/or blended learning students?
  3. How will the school provide professional development and support to virtual and/or blended learning teachers?


D. Special Education and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requirements:

  1. How will the proposed program meet the requirements of the following:
    1. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and
    2. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504)