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Charter School FAQ Section 12

Frequently asked questions regarding charter schools and Williams monitoring.

The below frequently asked questions are intended to provide clarification to charter schools, charter authorizers, and interest holders on matters related to Assembly Bill 599 External link opens in new window or tab. [Chapter 667, Statutes of 2021], which was approved by the Governor on October 8, 2021.

Responses to these frequently asked questions are advisory only. Charter schools and charter authorizers are encouraged to review the laws and regulations that provide the basis for these responses, and to consult with their own legal counsel regarding the application of these issues to specific situations.

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Williams Monitoring

1. Are charter schools subject to California Education Code (EC) Section 1240 monitoring?

Yes, all charter schools included on the monitoring list are subject to EC Section 1240 monitoring. AB 599’s amendments to EC Section 1240 required that charter schools be included on the monitoring list to the extent that they meet the same criteria as traditional schools, namely, eligibility for Comprehensive Support and Intervention (CSI); or Additional Targeted Support and Intervention (ATSI); or 15 percent or more of the teachers do not possess a valid and clear or preliminary teaching credential. All schools that have a Dashboard Alternative School Status (DASS) are excluded from the Williams list.

The list is published at Schools Eligible for Williams Monitoring.

See Legislative Update to the Williams Case and Schools Identified for Monitoring for more information.

2. Are county superintendents required to monitor charter schools for all aspects of EC Section 1240?

Yes, EC Section 1240 provides that the list of Williams schools, which now includes eligible charter schools, are to be annually inspected and reported on by County Offices of Education (COEs).

The annual inspections and reports cover:

  • Teacher misassignment and teacher vacancies, pursuant to EC Section 44258.9
  • Instructional materials sufficiency, pursuant to EC Section 60119
  • School facilities, pursuant to EC Section 17592.72
  • The accuracy of data reported on school accountability report cards with respect to instructional materials sufficiency and conditions of school facilities

COEs and local educational agencies should review the revision of EC Section 1240 to confirm their understanding of the continued monitoring and reporting requirements of the law.
3. Who is responsible for the monitoring of the EC Section 1240 list for California State Board of Education-authorized charter schools?

The county superintendent of schools shall be responsible for the monitoring of all schools in their respective counties, including all charter schools, that are included on the list of Williams schools.

4. Where is the monitoring list published?

Based on the requirements of AB 599, the California Department of Education (CDE) identified an initial list of schools in the 2021–22 fiscal year. The legislation requires that the CDE identify the list of schools again in the 2022–23 fiscal year, and then every three fiscal years thereafter, during the same fiscal year that schools are identified for Comprehensive Support and Intervention (CSI) and Additional Targeted Support and Intervention (ATSI) pursuant to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114-95) or identified as low performing under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-10), or any subsequent amendments to that act. Each list shall be used for inspections beginning the following fiscal year.

The list is published at Schools Eligible for Williams Monitoring.

More information can be found at Williams Case - Monitoring FAQ or by contacting Dashboard@cde.ca.gov.

5. Are charter schools subject to the Uniform Complaint Procedure (UCP) monitoring, complaint, and posting requirements for Williams?

No, charter schools are still not subject to the monitoring, complaint, and posting requirements for Williams complaints through the UCP unless they have opted in. AB 599 did not make any changes to EC Section 35186 governing Williams complaints, and California Code of Regulations, Title 5 sections 4680-4687, which apply UCP procedures to Williams complaints, have not been amended to include charter schools.


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Questions:   Charter Schools Division | charters@cde.ca.gov | 916-322-6029
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, November 26, 2024
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