A charter school can post strong academic results and still fall short on the specialized, career- and college-focused opportunities it promised students. When a school’s mission centers on STEM, college readiness, or workforce exposure, authorizers need a way to see past overall test scores and confirm that students actually experience those opportunities.

This profile from the Florida Association of Charter School Authorizers (FACSA) and WestEd shows how Orange County Public Schools makes career- and college-focused promises visible in specialized school models. Drawing on district-reported practices, it offers authorizers practical guidance on curriculum coherence, staffing, budgets, and partnerships, plus expanded indicators like pathway participation, credentials, and postsecondary plans. It provides authorizers, state agency leaders, and school applicants a lens for judging pathway quality, not just school performance.