Ball State's charter school oversight criticized

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Critics say Ball State University hasn't done an adequate job of overseeing the charter schools it sponsors.

A report from a charter school sponsor trade group recommends closing charters that rank in the bottom 15 percent of their state's standardized test scores. Under that standard, The Indianapolis Star reports 10 of Ball State's 38 charter schools would be closed.

Twenty of Ball State's charters are up for renewal by March 1. The head of the university's charter school program says low-performing schools shouldn't be renewed.

Indiana's 66 charter schools are free public schools run independently from school districts. Sponsors like Ball State are responsible for holding them accountable and can shut them down.

But the Star says Indiana charters have rarely been closed for mainly academic reasons.