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Charter Schools
Charter schools are nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" establishing each such school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. The length of time for which charters are granted varies, but most are granted for 3-5 years. A charter school is accountable to its sponsor—usually a state or local school board, or in some cases municipal government or a college or university—to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract. At the end of the contract term, the sponsor may renew the school's contract.
Generally, states apply fewer regulations to charter schools and demand a higher level of accountability for results. If charter schools fail to produce the results outlined in their contract with the state or other authorizer, the school can be closed. Moreover, as schools of choice (i.e., parents voluntarily enroll their children there), charter schools are held accountable to the public because if they cannot attract students, the schools cannot survive.
The first charter school law was passed in Minnesota in 1990. Growth since then has been substantial. As of 2000-01 nearly 2,100 charter schools were operating in 33 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 500,000 students. Among the more active chartering states are Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin. In May 2001, Indiana became the 38th state to pass charter school legislation.
Charter schools are subject to the same safety, health, civil-rights, academic-testing standards, and financial audits as other public schools. In addition, because they are public schools funded by public money, enrollment is open to all students. Specific provisions of each state's legislation define what a charter school is, how it is organized, and how it will operate.
Charter school laws lie on a continuum from strong to weak. States with weak laws typically have only one sponsor, usually the local school board. Other features of weak laws include reduced freedom from state statutes, financial constraints, and caps on the number of charter schools. Strong laws, on the other hand, usually provide for fair and equitable funding, more than one authorizer, and an appeals process for applicants who are denied by their school board. In these laws, waivers from state statutes are sweeping, allowing schools to determine such things as curriculum, use of time, and staffing.
Individual charter schools are founded to fulfill specific educational goals, particularly:
- To realize a particular vision about a good school (e.g., collaborative learning, community involvement);
- To better serve a particular population (e.g., low-income students) or;
- To restructure existing schools to achieve better performance (e.g. academically struggling schools, schools wanting more autonomy)
Policy makers hope charter schools will:
- Provide options for families and teachers.
- Encourage innovation in teaching practices and teacher professional development.
- Provide a strong system of accountability to both the sponsors and to the public.
- Create authentic site-based management in public schools.
- Encourage community and parental involvement.
- Enhance student achievement.
- Create healthy competition within the public school system.
National statistics on charter schools provide the following picture:
- 16% of charter schools are high schools, 10% are middle schools, 25% are elementary schools, 16% are K-8, 10% are middle-high schools, 8% are K-12, 8% are primary, 5% are other and 2% are un-graded.
- The estimated percentage of students with limited English proficiency in charter schools is 10%, which is about the same as for all public schools in states with charter school laws.
- The percentage of students with disabilities at charter schools is about 8% versus 11% in traditional public schools.
- Charter schools serve a slightly higher percentage (39% versus 37%) of students eligible for free or reduced lunch than public schools.
- 48% of charter school enrollment consists of white students, as compared to 59% in traditional public schools.
- In addition, charter schools are more likely than public schools to serve African-American (24% versus 17%) and Hispanic students (21% versus 18%).
Source:
Center on Reinventing Public Education, University of Washington-Seattle
Source: U.S.
Department of Education
Web Links to information and resources on Charter Schools
The U.S. Charter Schools
Website: This site is a national clearinghouse for practical information
and innovations among charter school operators, managed by the U.S. Department
of Education. The site also contains specific State & School Information.
This
page contains a map linking to information on charter legislation, key contacts,
school profiles, web site participants and interactive features for each state.
You may also Search School Profiles or Search Participant Profiles to locate
an individual or a school.
Center for Education Reform:
This national, non-profit education advocacy group serves as a clearinghouse
for information on charter schools and other forms of educational choice.
The Charter
Schools Development Center: This Center, housed in the Institute for Education
Reform, provides technical assistance, training, and resources to the charter
school reform movement both in California and nationally.
The Pioneer
Institute Charter School Resource Center: The Center's website, aimed primarily
at charter school developers in Massachusetts, contains a detailed downloadable
handbook for charter school founders with chapters covering topics such as mission
statement, curriculum, accountability, leadership, facilities, and financing.
Other national charter school sources:
Charter Friends National
Network: This site is part of a national network connecting and supporting
resource centers and other state-level charter support.
Charter Teach Organization:
This organization awards highly selective fellowships to quality, experienced
teachers attracted to the innovation of the charter movement, and introduces
them to outstanding charter schools with position openings.
Institute for the
Transformation of Learning: Founded by Dr. Howard Fuller, former Superintendent
of Milwaukee Public Schools, at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Institute supports programs that expand parental school choice for those
who have few options. The Institute operates the Milwaukee Charter School Resource
Center, and the School Design Development Center, among other projects and programs
in the city of Milwaukee.
LINCS
- Linking Independent and Charter Schools: This organization connects independent
and charter school educators through technology to help them establish initial
contact and build mutually beneficial relationships.
National Association of Charter School Authorizers: NACSA is a nonprofit
membership association of public school districts and school boards, state boards
and departments of education, public universities and colleges, municipal bodies,
and independent boards across the country that are legislatively empowered to
authorize and oversee charter schools. NACSA supports and strengthens the capacities
of these public authorities to charter high-quality schools and spur improvements
in public education more broadly. Contact Margaret Lin, Executive Director
at (202) 363-9434 or [email protected].
Thomas B. Fordham Foundation:
The Fordham Foundation supports research, publications, and action projects
of national significance in elementary/secondary education reform, as well as
significant education reform projects (including charter schools) in Dayton,
Ohio and vicinity.
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Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO)
1710 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Floor 12, Washington, D.C. 20036
Phone: 202-429-2236 Fax: 202-429-2237