Some standards, finally, may be set by the school even if not required by the law or by the charter. Some will be academic. It is important to recognize that this country is nowhere near clear with itself yet about what young people should know and be able to do, and how well. It involves a serious of question about how we define education. And of course about whose definition should prevail.
Tests are powerful.
They can be dangerous. Especially where a lot is at stake teachers . . . Tests not aligned with standards can draw schools away from their real purposes. A charter school may be entitled to an assessment aligned with its own defined purposes. The responsibility for the successful operation of the charter school falls on the board of the school.