Summaries of State Charter School Facility Laws
Some states have passed public charter school facilities laws that provide per-pupil facilities aid for public charter schools, a prerequisite for receiving a State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grant. This federal government website site provides summaries of laws from California, District of Columbia, Minnesota, and Utah, including links to the legislation and regulations for each state.
Source: United States Department of Education
Date: 2009

A Framework for Academic Quality: A Report from the National Consensus Panel on Charter School Academic Quality
This inaugural report from the National Consensus Panel on Charter School Academic Quality, a group of two dozen education reform professionals and foundation executives playing leading roles in the public charter school movement nationally, recommends key indicators of academic quality in public charter schools. The report is designed to be a practical resource guiding improvement in public charter schools across the country -- and applicable to all schools regardless of their specific mission or student body. It is the first publication in a series of initiatives of the three-year Building Charter School Quality project funded by the U.S. Department of Education. For each of the four indicators (student achievement level, student progress over time, post-secondary readiness and success, and student engagement), the broad framework includes specific measures, metrics, targets and benchmark comparisons.
Source: Colorado League of Charter Schools, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, National Association of Charter School Authorizers, Stanford University
Date: 2008

Final No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Regulations
In late October 2008, the U.S. Department of Education released final No Child Left Behind regulations. New regulations require states keep track of students from when they enter high school until they receive a regular diploma, counting as non-graduates any students who leave school before that time. The regulations also require states to report graduation rates by race to ensure that black and Latino students, who have higher dropout rates than whites, get the special services they need. Another new regulation requires schools to provide parents with more information about supplemental services required under NCLB and available for students with special academic needs. Parents must be told what tutoring providers are available, how these providers are approved and monitored, and how effective they are in helping students improve. Finally, parents must receive timely information about choices they have in where they can enroll their child in a public school.
Source: United States Department of Education
Date: 2008

Building Choice Website
The Office of Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education has created this online toolkit to support public school choice efforts around the country. Designed for school administrators and others involved with education management, it offers an array of tools taken from real life experiences and used by districts and schools that have succeeded in implementing public school choice programs. The site includes five key action areas: Create a Vision, Communicate with Parents, Manage Operations, Support Schools, and Evaluate the Program. Each focus area offers several types of resources including vignettes illustrating promising practices; sample materials such as forms, brochures, and meeting agendas; tools such as templates and example processes developed specifically for the website; and links to other helpful websites, articles, and organizations. Several charter resources are included.
Source: United States Department of Education
Date: 2006

What Works Clearinghouse
The Department of Education has revamped its What Works Clearinghouse Web site to make it more useful to policymakers and practitioners. The What Works project is aimed at vetting research on educational interventions and programs so that decisionmakers can make informed choices about what works, or is likely to work, in their own schools. The revamped Web site includes intervention reports that contain program descriptions, information on implementation costs, and ratings on program effectiveness in specific areas.
Source: United States Department of Education
Date: 2006

Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) Guidance
AHERA was passed by Congress in 1986. EPA promulgated regulations in 1987 that required public schools and non-profit private schools to perform certain activities to safeguard building occupants against asbestos exposure. Those activities included, among others, preparing an asbestos management plan and performing an initial inspection of the school building for asbestos containing material (ACM) by October 1988. Charter schools were not in existence at the time of the initial inspection requirements in 1988. However, local education agencies (LEAs) that come into existence after 1988 are still required to comply with AHERA and develop asbestos management plans. Charter schools need to ensure their compliance with the AHERA requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency is currently working with the PTA, the National Education Association (NEA), the American Association of School Administrator's )AASA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the Department of Education on this issue. Questions? Contact the EPA for details: www.epa.gov.
Date: 2004

Charter Schools Program: Non-Regulatory Guidance
This updated version of the Charter School Program (CSP) draft non-regulatory guidance addresses questions regarding student admission to charter schools, the use of lotteries, private school conversions, and the involvement of for-profit organizations in charter schools. It also addresses how businesses, faith-based communities, and other community-based organizations and individuals associated with them can be involved in the development and operation of charter schools.
Source: United States Department of Education
Date: 2004

The Impact of the New Title I Requirements on Charter Schools: Non-Regulatory Guidance
This updated version of nonregulatory guidance provides guidance regarding the impact of Title I requirements on charter schools (under the No Child Left Behind Act). It describes the accountability-related responsibilities that the authorized public chartering authority, or another entity designated under state law, must carry out when a charter school has been identified as in need of improvement under Title I. It highlights the resources that may be available to support the authorized public chartering authority (or other entity) in carrying out those responsibilities. It also clarifies that a charter school that receives assistance under the Department's Charter Schools Program may use an admissions lottery that gives extra weight to students seeking to change schools under the Title I public school choice requirements.
Source: United States Department of Education
Date: 2004

Allocating Funds: Non-Regulatory Guidance (34 CFR Part 76, Subpart H)
This multi-page guidance answers the question: "How does a state or local education agency allocate funds to charter schools that are opening for the first time or significantly expanding their enrollment?" It's sections include the following pdf files: the body of the guidance; an appendix that includes the Final Rule on State-administered Programs made in December, 2000; an appendix that provides summaries of federal programs covered by the guidance; and an appendix of examples using Title I fund allocations.
Source: United States Department of Education
Date: 2000

Applying Federal Civil Rights Laws to Public Charter Schools: Questions and Answers
As part of the U.S. Department of Education's and the U.S. Department of Justice's efforts to support innovation and choice within the public school system, this publication provides important information on how public charter schools may be developed and operated consistent with federal nondiscrimination laws. The purpose of this publication is to assist charter school developers and operators by making available a summary of civil rights issues applicable to public schools.
Source: United States Department of Education
Date: 2000

Guidance on Standards, Assessment, and Accountability
This document provides an introduction and guidance on major provisions of Title I of the ESEA. Throughout this guidance the statute and regulations for each section are given first, followed by discussion, questions and answers, and examples to clarify or illustrate the provisions.
Source: United States Department of Education
Date: No date