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AB 1493

School district and community college district governing boards: vacancy elections.

2025-2026 Regular Session

The bill ties renewal of low-performing charters to the rollout of a student-level growth model, allowing alternative verified data and postsecondary outcomes until the model is re

In committee: Set, second hearing. Failed passage.
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Bill Summary · AB 1493

AB 1493 — Charter schools: performance standards for renewal

Author: Ávila Farías
Introduced: February 21, 2025
Status (as of 04/30/2025): In Assembly Education Committee — set for first hearing (failed passage; reconsideration granted)

Main purpose

AB 1493 modifies the standards and data a chartering authority must use when deciding whether to renew a charter for lower‑performing charter schools. Instead of a fixed statutory deadline (previously January 1, 2026) after which only Dashboard data may be used, the bill ties the transition to the State Board of Education’s implementation of a student‑level growth model for English language arts and mathematics. Until that model is fully implemented and provides the two years of student‑level growth data needed for renewal decisions, chartering authorities must consider alternative measures of achievement and postsecondary outcomes.

Key provisions

  • Amends Education Code section 47607.2 (renewal standards):

    • Continues the existing prohibition on renewing a charter if, for two consecutive years immediately preceding the renewal decision, a charter school has (a) received the two lowest performance levels schoolwide on all state indicators it receives, or (b) received schoolwide academic performance at or below the state average and a majority of subgroups performing below the state average received lower performance levels.
    • Preserves exception for pandemic‑affected years (2019–20 or 2020–21) by allowing use of the two most recent years with available state data.
    • Where a charter meets the low‑performance criteria, the charter may be renewed only if the chartering authority makes written findings that:
    • The school is taking meaningful steps to address low performance (documented in a written plan), and
    • There is clear and convincing evidence of either:
      • Measurable increases in academic achievement (defined as at least one year’s progress for each year in school), or
      • Strong postsecondary outcomes (college enrollment, persistence, and completion rates comparable to similar peers).
    • Those improvements must be demonstrated by “verified data” until the student‑level growth model for ELA and math is fully implemented and can provide two years of growth data for renewal purposes.
    • For charters renewed under this subdivision, renewal terms may be limited (e.g., two years).

  • States legislative intent to pursue subsequent legislation on alternative performance measures for renewal.

Who is affected

  • Charter schools, particularly those in the two lower performance tiers on the California School Dashboard.
  • Chartering authorities (local educational agencies, county offices of education, etc.) that must apply these standards and document findings when renewing charters.
  • Students at affected charter schools (decisions affect school continuity, interventions, or closure).
  • Local agencies may incur additional duties; the bill acknowledges this could create a state‑mandated local program.

Timeline and implementation

  • The bill replaces the prior fixed date (Jan 1, 2026) with a milestone: the State Board of Education’s student‑level growth model must be fully implemented and able to supply two years of data before the statutory “verified data” provisions are phased out for renewal decisions.
  • The State Board had been required (by earlier statute) to establish criteria for “verified data” and an approved list of valid assessments (on or before Jan 1, 2021); AB 1493 continues reliance on verified data until the growth model is ready.

Fiscal/mandate note

  • The bill declares that to the extent it imposes new duties on local educational agencies, it creates a state‑mandated local program. If the Commission on State Mandates determines there are reimbursable costs, reimbursement would be required under the usual statutory procedures.

Procedural history (selected)

  • 02/21/2025: Introduced.
  • 02/24/2025: Read first time.
  • 03/24/2025: Amended and re‑referred to Assembly Education Committee.
  • 04/28/2025: Set for first hearing in Assembly Education Committee.
  • 04/30/2025: First hearing — failed passage; reconsideration granted.

This bill primarily changes when and how charter renewal decisions for low‑performing schools may rely on alternative measures (verified data and postsecondary outcomes) by tying the shift to the implementation status of a student‑level growth model rather than a calendar date.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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