13 CA Charter Schools Awarded with Certified Charter School Honor.

86 Public Charter Schools Now Recognized as Certified, Surpasses 12 Percent of All CA Charter Schools

LOS ANGELES -- The California Charter Schools Association today announced that 13 public charter schools have been named Certified Charter Schools, bringing the state's total number of Certified Charter Schools to 86.

The 13 Certified Charter Schools named today are participants in the Certified Charter Schools Program, which validates charter schools that have undergone rigorous, comprehensive review and upheld quality standards established by California's charter school movement. Launched in May 2007, the Certified Charter Schools Program represents the first time in the nation that a state's charter school movement has defined standards for high quality and accountability, and recognized charter schools that have met those standards.

"We're pleased to recognize these 13 charter schools that have joined a select group that is demonstrating a commitment to high quality," said Peter Thorp, Interim CEO of the California Charter Schools Association. "These schools represent a strong commitment to continued achievement and accountability in California's charter school movement."

More than 12 percent of all of California charter schools are now Certified. Along with the 86 Certified Charter Schools, there are currently 420 Candidates for Certification, for a total of 506 California charter schools that are participating in the Certified Program. Over 70 percent of the state's charter schools are participating in the movement's quality efforts.

After more than three years of input from over 300 charter leaders, the Association created this program to recognize charter schools that have met quality standards which assess student achievement, responsible governance and fiscal integrity.

The program includes a rigorous, independent review process by Association-approved third-party reviewing agencies that are aligned with the movement's Quality Standards. These reviewing agencies include the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Cambridge Education's Charter Program Quality Review (CPQR), Insight Education Group and the State Board of Education's Charter Renewal Review.

In order to become a Certified Charter School, a charter school must successfully complete the third-party review. A charter school involved in the program currently undergoing a third-party review is a Candidate for Certification.

The 13 Certified Charter Schools Announced Today Include:

Bert Corona Charter School, Pacoima

Desert Sands Charter High Schools, Lancaster

East Palo Alto Academy - Stanford New School, Menlo Park 

eScholar, Red Bluff

Heritage College-Ready Academy High School, Los Angeles

Horizon Charter School, Lincoln

Huntington Park College-Ready Academy High School, Huntington Park

Los Angeles Leadership Academy, Los Angeles

Natomas Charter School, Sacramento

Oakland Military Institute, College Preparatory Academy, Oakland

Richard Merkin Middle School, Los Angeles

Rocklin Academy, Rocklin

SIAtech, Vista

To see which charter schools are participating in the Association's Certified Charter Schools Program, visit: www.myschool.org

About the California Charter Schools Association

The California Charter Schools Association is the membership and professional organization serving the more than 700 charter public schools that serve over a quarter million charter school students in the state of California. The Association's mission is to improve student achievement by supporting and expanding California's quality charter public school movement. www.myschool.org.