Earlier this week, Ball State University announced its intent to revoke the charters of seven of its nearly 40 charter schools for failure to meet performance expectations. The authorizer had until March to make its decision, but Bob Marra, executive director of the Ball State charter school office,  wisely chose to announce the decision more than a month early so that parents could begin making plans to enroll in other schools as soon as possible.

Last month, Ball State promised bold action in the face of evidence that a significant number of the charter schools authorized by Ball State were not succeeding at educating kids.

This week the University followed through on that promise.

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) and Ball State University’s Office of Charter Schools have worked closely together over the past 18 months on implementing quality charter school authorizing practices. NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond issued this statement praising Ball State for its stand for quality:

“Ball State University is to be commended for establishing clear standards for charter schools, carefully analyzing each school’s performance, and making thoughtful decisions about which schools to renew and not renew.  Supporting the growth and development of new, excellent charter schools requires the courage to hold all schools accountable, and to close them when they fail. While school closure is never easy, Ball State’s actions today will ultimately give more children in Indiana the chance to attend a great school.”