Closing a failing charter school is difficult, but it can be done. In fact, it has been done hundreds of times across the country. However, if you are on the staff or the board of a charter school authorizing agency that is facing a closure decision, the fact that other authorizers have closed schools may be of small comfort. You are facing a daunting collection of academic, financial, compliance, legal, political, philosophical and personal information. Some of that information will suggest that you take bold action to close the school; other information may suggest more cautious strategies. Many authorizing staff and board members end up feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Those feelings themselves often lead authorizers to become cautious and to keep a failing school open. Yet other authorizers have been in your situation. They have faced the same complexities and emotions and then successfully closed a failing school. This "Comprehensive Guide to Charter School Closure" is designed to assist the staff and board members of authorizing agencies as they address the wide array of challenges involved in any closure decision. It draws directly upon the successful experiences of other authorizers across the country. Yes, closing a failing charter school is difficult. It should be difficult. Yet that difficulty must not prevent the tough decisions that need to be made in the best interests of children. Far too many children in America, especially low-income children and children of color, are attending schools that are failing them--both charter schools and traditional district schools. The staff and board of an authorizing agency are entrusted by the public with unique and extraordinary powers to approve new good charter schools and to close those that fail. This guide provides information and tools to help fulfill those responsibilities so that more children attend only high-quality schools that successfully prepare them for their futures. Following an introduction by NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond, this guide presents the following chapters: (1) Why Good Authorizers Should Close Bad Schools (James A. Peyser and Maura Marino); (2) The Evidence Base Needed for School Closure (Margaret Lin); (3) Closure: Timing, Process and Appeals (Ralph A. Rossi II); (4) Authorizing Boards and Executives (Edward F. Cox and Randy A. Daniels); (5) Supporting Students and Families (Justin Testerman); and (6) Message Matters in Closure Decisions (Joe Williams). The following are appended: (1) Sample Action Plan for Charter School Closure; (2) Sample Resolution for Non-Renewal; (3) Sample Resolution for Charter Revocation; (4) Frequently Asked Questions; (5) Sample News Release; (6) Sample Parent Letter; (7) Sample Staff Calendar; (8) Sample Staff Letter; and (9) Additional Resources. (Contains 44 endnotes.)