Each charter school in Missouri has a sponsor that first approves the charter application and then monitors the schools to ensure success. Sponsors, sometimes called authorizers, are ultimately responsible for the operational and educational integrity of each charter school they sponsor and for closing any that fail to function responsibly. Sponsors are charged by state law with ensuring that the charter schools meet the student achievement goals and financial and operational standards required by the contracts (or “charters,” hence the term “charter school”) made between the charter schools and their sponsors.