A Majority of Georgia Charter School Authorizers are rated “Exemplary” or “Adequate”

Six of the State's eleven charter school authorizers were rated as "Adequate" on the 2025 evaluation of the Georgia Principles and Standards for Charter School Authorizing. Two local district authorizers, Atlanta Public Schools and DeKalb County Public Schools and the statewide authorizer, the State Charter School Commission, were awarded the highest overall rating of Exemplary.

The evaluation is based on a set of standards jointly developed by the State Charter Schools Commission (SCSC) and the Georgia Department of Education and adopted by the State Board of Education. The standards, which are rooted in state law and based on national best practices, promote accountability and guide authorizers in implementing high-quality charter school authorizing practices. Georgia statute (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-2063.3) requires charter school authorizers to be evaluated annually by an experienced third-party provider. The National Association of Charter School Authorizers(NACSA), a nationally recognized nonprofit, conducted the 2025 evaluations for all Georgia charter school authorizers.

The evaluation includes a review of the authorizer's policies and practices, resulting in an overall rating of Needs Improvement (NI), Adequate (AD) or Exemplary (EX) based on their performance on the 15 Georgia Standards for Quality Charter School Authorizing .

See the chart below and visit Local District Authorizer Evaluationsfor complete evaluation results. Local District Charter School Authorizers (Local Authorizers) with an overall Needs Improvement rating will receive targeted training from the OCSC. Future annual evaluations will include stakeholder feedback that may impact overall quality ratings.

The Office of Charter School Compliance(OCSC), a division of the SCSC, released the initial evaluations of Georgia's ten Local Authorizers, marking the first assessment under unified charter school authorizer standards. The evaluation of local district charter school authorizers is one of the primary OCSC functions established by House Bill 318: supporting Local Authorizers in implementing best practices in charter school authorization.

"The ultimate goal of the evaluation, beyond transparency, is to identify areas where support and guidance are needed. The OCSC will be offering coaching, training, and other meaningful support to districts with identified gaps," said OCSC Senior Director Allen Mueller, "Over time, this will result in better educational opportunities for Georgia students and parents."

The SCSC earned an Exemplary rating for the third consecutive year. This 2025 recognition highlights improved operational processes, strategic recruitment of staff with school-level expertise, and strong partnerships with authorized charter schools, as evidenced by positive stakeholder feedback.

"The State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia is a quality authorizer, with a strong culture of commitment, leadership, and judgment," NACSA stated.

Visit SCSC Authorizer Evaluationsfor complete evaluation results.