04 Oct 2024 Charter School FAQs: Guide to Accreditation, Regulation, & Certification
Have some questions about charter schools? We get it! Because of their individualized and independent nature, charter schools can seem confusing. At the School for Entrepreneurship and Technology (SET), a tuition-free charter school in San Diego, California, we put together some frequently asked questions to help you understand more about how charter schools operate.
Are charter schools in California accredited?
Accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental process for awarding public recognition to institutions and/or higher education programs that meet and maintain high-quality educational standards.
This means that charter schools can be accredited in California, but they must choose to follow the guidelines set forth by whichever accrediting institution they wish to be accredited by.
A common accreditation for charter schools is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) or Cognia. Both are reputable and require schools to closely monitor student performance. Schools are also evaluated by these accrediting institutions to make sure that the schools maintain a high level of academic success. Accredited schools must also keep a highly qualified staff to support students. All of this and more is closely monitored by the accrediting institution.
SET High School is WASC accredited. In fact, in our last assessment, SET was praised for our school culture and support for academic achievement. We’re especially proud of the recognition because we work hard at both of these.
We want our students to advance as far as they want, whether it’s through our amazing courses, our use of AI, or taking free classes through Mesa College. We give our students the autonomy to design their own learning journey and love of learning through the development of passion projects.
And our culture? Connection is our secret sauce: we want our students to want to be here! We are dedicated to a diverse staff that engages with our students, block scheduling, team-building, clubs, sports, and even a podcast.
Who regulates charter schools in California?
While charter schools can be initiated by parents, teachers, or community members, they are approved by local school boards, county boards of education, and the state board of education. So charter schools still have to conform to state educational standards and regulations. They just have more freedom to use different and innovative teaching methods as well as expanded educational opportunities.
Do charter school teachers in California have to be certified?
Yes. All teachers in charter schools are required to have a current teacher certification or other documentation that is equal to the certification that a traditional teacher in a public school has to maintain.
Do California charter schools have to follow state standards?
Charter schools in California do have to follow state and federal public education standards. They are held to the same standards as traditional public schools. They have the privilege of tailoring their curriculum and academic focus to meet the needs of their student body.
Have you looked at the course list of classes we teach at SET? We take our ability to tailor our curriculum to the next level! There are updates to classics and fabulous electives too. We not only have certified teachers but teachers who want to be here because they have a say in creating their classes, as well as taking feedback from students’ interests. A sample of current classes at SET:
– Heretical Heroines in Literature
– History Through Media: Video Games
– Forensics
– Biotech
– Green Engineering
– Boxing
– Graphic Novels
– Robotics / Building Cool Stuff
– Strength of Mind and Body
– Making Beats: The Basics of Music Production
How much do charter schools cost a year?
Charter schools are tuition-free and that includes SET High! Yep, you get a private-school quality education, for free.
Hopefully we’ve answered your questions but if not, reach out, we love talking about why we’re a charter school!
Looking for a small school with a 12:1 student teacher ratio, rigorous yet supported academics, strong accreditation, and is a California Distinguished School too?! Check SET High out– we’re a tuition-free charter school and enrolling now.
About SET High
SET High offers each student individual attention from multi-talented, highly qualified teachers. Students build a healthy camaraderie with classmates inside an intellectually rigorous environment that brings out their talents and personality, helping them develop their individual character and direction in life. With a wide variety of electives, flexible scheduling, dual enrollment college classes and more — our students regularly exceed their academic and personal expectations. Enroll now.