Renewal Site Visit
Overview
The charter school renewal site visit is a critical component of the charter renewal process. Beginning August 1, 2025, a team of impartial reviewers will conduct a one-day site visit after the school submits its renewal application along with required documentation and artifacts. The purpose of the visit is to observe school programs, policies, practices, and procedures to assess their effectiveness and alignment with the school’s charter and operating systems. Evidence collected through observations, interviews, and focus groups will inform the renewal report submitted to the Clayton County Board of Education.
Site Visit Review Team
The review team will consist of impartial reviewers with the expertise necessary to evaluate all aspects of school operations and performance. The team will include at least four members and may include:
- Charter Office representative
- Chief Academic Officer
- Finance and operations expert
- Special Education/Gifted/ESOL expert
- School leadership
- Federal Programs representative
- External expert
Components
The site visit is designed to collect data to confirm and supplement the review of the school’s renewal application, performance data, and supporting documents. The review team will engage diverse stakeholders including school leaders, board members, teachers, and families.
- School Tour: Guided tour to observe operations, procedures, maintenance, routines, and health and safety.
- Classroom Observations: Informal and random visits across grade levels and content areas.
- Governance Board Meeting: Interview regarding governance, performance, operations, and sustainability.
- Director/Principal Meeting: Interview on school performance, programming, operations, enrollment, and staffing.
- Finance/Operations Meeting: Review of financial procedures, status, operations, and facilities.
- Faculty Focus Groups: Discussions on performance, programming, operations, and staff development.
- Parent/Community Focus Groups: Feedback on climate, performance, programming, and enrollment.
- Special Education Review: Review of special education files and procedures.
Sample Schedule
The Charter School Office collaborates with school leadership to develop the visit schedule. School leaders are responsible for reserving space and coordinating participants for interviews and focus groups.
9:15 - 10:00 AM: School Tour
10:00 - 10:45 AM: Faculty Focus Group
11:00 - 11:45 AM: Classroom Observations / Meeting with Director
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM: Lunch Break
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM: Board of Directors Meeting
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM: Classroom Observations / Finance & Operations Meeting
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Classroom Observations / Special Education Review
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM: Parent and Community Focus Group
Renewal Report
At the conclusion of the renewal process, the CCPS Charter Department prepares a renewal report synthesizing school performance data, the renewal application, supporting documents, and findings from the site visit. Schools receive ratings of 'Meets/Exceeds', 'Approaches', or 'Falls Below' for each indicator area in the CCPS Charter School Performance Framework. Each rating includes supporting notes and evidence used to determine performance levels.