State Auditor releases performance audit on charter schools - but results are inconclusive

The Office of the Washington State auditor released a performance audit report on charter schools in Washington.

The audit examined whether the state's charter schools have the foundations in place to ensure they are accountable to the public. This includes whether the schools have enrolled the types of students identified in their charters, complied with certain state and federal requirements, and have appropriate performance frameworks.

Results were mixed, which was unsurprising given the newness of the charter school system in this state. That newness also kept our Office from addressing the question of how effective these schools are at teaching students. That is a question that should be addressed as the system matures and accumulates more years of data.