The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that the D.C. Public Charter School Board introduced a new academic accountability system and made changes to its charter application process.

GAO said almost half of District of Columbia public-school students were enrolled in 133 charter schools during the 2025–26 school year. The report described how the board reviews applications, monitors schools, takes corrective actions, and complies with annual reporting requirements.

According to GAO, the board introduced the Annual School Performance Index Report and Evaluation (ASPIRE) system in 2024 to improve accountability for schools’ success and student development. The report said the board uses ASPIRE to determine which schools need additional monitoring or support. GAO said the system has similar measures to the board’s previous approach, but “emphasizes school performance,” and calculates performance measures by student groups, such as students with disabilities or multilingual learners.

GAO reported that the board uses a multi-step process, including interviews and public hearings, to screen charter applicants, and requires applicants to meet several decision criteria. In the past five years, changes to the application process included requiring that new charters fill a demonstrated need, adding a preapplication process, and shifting the application timeline to the fall from the spring, according to the report.

In the last five years, two schools applied for new charters and the board denied both, GAO said. By comparison, from 2016 to 2021, the board received 30 applications and approved 11. PCSB officials attributed the reduced number of recent applications to what they described as a more rigorous application process, according to GAO. For the 2026 application cycle, the board did not receive any applications, the report said.

GAO said it reviewed board policies and procedures, including the 2026 Charter Application Guidelines, Charter Review and Charter Renewal guidelines, and policy documents related to the new accountability system. GAO also compared the board’s 2026 annual report to School Reform Act requirements and interviewed the board’s chair and staff. The GAO summary did not state the outcome of that compliance review.