On average, the funding gap between charter schools and traditional schools is 22 percent, or $1,800 per pupil. The average charter school ends up with a total funding shortfall of nearly half a million dollars.
Source: Charter School Funding: Inequity’s Next Frontier
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Creating the Capacity for Change
This book, by Ted Kolderie, one of America's foremost charter school pioneers, explains why governors' and legislatures' efforts to open a new-schools sector is imperative for public education. The author argues that states need to move beyond trying to fix their broken systems of education -- the "old public-utility model" which is beholden to special interests -- and focus reform efforts squarely on creating new public schools (charter schools, contracted schools, and site-managed schools). He encourages state policymakers to provide real incentives for districts to change, and recommends that district leaders stop thinking of themselves as the owners and operators of schools, and start thinking of themselves as the "education board" overseeing and managing a portfolio of individually-operated public schools.
Nurturing "Green," High Performance Charter Schools Conference
Charter schools with environment-focused and project-based programs are springing up across the nation. In response, the Wisconsin Charter Schools Association (WCSA), Minnesota Association of Charter Schools, Audubon Center of the North Woods, and EdVisions Cooperative and Conserve School are sponsoring a one-day conference on July 13 for developers and operators of "green," environment-focused charter schools. Presenters include charter school leaders and leading environmental educators. For more information, or to join a growing network of people interested in fostering the creation of "green" charter schools, email your name and contact information to sennb@charter.net.
The Charter School Facility Finance Landscape
This national survey of private nonprofit and public providers of funding and financing for charter school facilities is the first comprehensive listing of its kind. It includes descriptions of financing products and geographic markets for the 21 private nonprofit providers currently active in the sector. The report also describes two public-private partnerships that have recently been developed in Indianapolis and Massachusetts. Public initiatives are also detailed, including explanations of and awardee information for two federal grant programs, three federal tax credit/bond financing programs, and an detailed listing of all state-level funding, loan, and credit enhancement programs currently authorized in the 41 jurisdictions with a charter law. The report includes all available web site and statutory references, with active links in the electronic version.
Texas Open-Enrollment Charter Schools: 2003-04 Evaluation
This new study provides an extensive look at the characteristics and performance of charter schools in Texas. Despite its provision of many details and helpful analyses, it is not without controversy as it claims the state's charter schools are receiving higher funding than regular public schools. It finds that the average per-pupil revenue for charter schools has increased and in 2002-03 surpassed per-pupil revenue generated by traditional public schools ($8,045 versus $8,028). Charter advocates say TCER's report does not capture the full charter school funding picture. For example, it does not include construction and capital improvement bonds, from which regular public schools receive funding but charter schools do not. The report also counts a one-time federal charter facilities grant the state received last year as part of the total funding charters receive.
Michigan Charter School MEAP Information (State Assessment Results)
State assessment (MEAP) results, released in June 2005, show students attending Michigan's charter public schools outpacing their peers by posting greater year-over-year gains. Charter children showed greater progress than the state average in seven of ten grades/subjects on the 2005 MEAPs. Charter students had a nine percentage-point climb in 7th-grade writing, compared to a state average increase of six points. In 4th-grade reading, charter scores escalated five points; the state average increased three points. Charters had a 24-point decline in students at the lowest level in 8th-grade science, compared to a 15-point decrease statewide the past three years. In 7th-grade reading, charter students had a 17-point increase the past two years, while the statewide average climbed 11 points. MAPSA provides a complete set of MEAP fact sheets on a statewide basis and for charters in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids and Lansing.
Students Describe Their Charter School Experiences
At the Charter School Student Summit held in St. Paul, Minnesota in December 2004, students discussed their charter school experiences in small groups. This document summarizes their discussions. Students said they were attracted to charter schools because of the small communities and additional attention provided. They liked that they were more likely to be able to work independently and at their own pace. They said their teachers care about them and motivated them to work harder. Relationships with both teachers and other students were significantly better than those at their previous schools.
Chasing the Blues Away: Charter Schools Scale Up in Chicago
This comprehensive report, one in a series about charter schools around the country, focuses on the successful oversight of the Chicago Public Schools charter school office, including their proactive and selective authorizing process and ongoing structural transparency and support. The authors highlight studies that show positive results for Chicago's charter students, including higher percentages of charter school students meeting state standards, improved graduation and attendance rates, and better overall school performance than the schools students would have otherwise attended. The report provides lessons for other cities and states interested in using charter schooling to improve their public education system, including: make student performance goal #1; build stable leadership at the district and community levels; see charters as a vital part of school reform and actively recruit the best possible people and groups as charter operators.
The Condition of Education: 2005
The National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) has released the annual "The Condition of Education, detailing 40 indicators on the status and condition of education and a special analysis of the mobility of elementary and secondary school teachers. The 2005 edition includes indicators in six main areas: (1) enrollment trends and student characteristics at all levels of the education system from elementary education to adult learning; (2) student achievement and the longer term, enduring effects of education; (3) student effort and rates of progress through the educational system among different population groups; (4) the contexts of elementary and secondary education in terms of courses taken, teacher characteristics, and other factors; (5) the contexts of postsecondary education; and (6) societal support for learning, including parental and community support for learning, and public and private financial support of education at all levels.
Amicus Brief in Ohio Case
The concept and practice of charter schooling is occasionally hauled into state courts to be examined and scrutinized by the justice system. Charter schools in Ohio, in particular, have been continuously pressed to advocate their presence as a legitimate part of the public school system. In late June, the Charter School Leadership Council filed a “friend of the court” brief in the Supreme Court of Ohio on behalf of national and state charter support organizations and advocates in support of Ohio’s charter schools. Ohio’s charters are appellees in the case of the Ohio Congress of Parents and Teachers v. the State of Ohio Board of Education. The brief argues that the public nature of charter schools is clear. Charter schools are authorized by statute; accountable to public officials; free, non-sectarian and open to all students; operated by public regulations; and accountable for meeting the same student performance standards as other public schools. So far, the “publicness” of charter schools has been upheld in every court.
How Can We Reduce Conflict Between Charter Schools and School Districts?
This report, created by 21 public education stakeholders who spent six months negotiating, mediating, and developing many recommendations, is designed to help charter and district school leaders to respect and to support one another's commitment to providing a quality, equitable public education for all school children. It suggests that all parties must work to create opportunities for charters and districts to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects, including sharing best practices, developing skills to enhance parent involvement, and improving working conditions for faculty. The report calls on policymakers to take immediate steps to position both charter and district schools for success by remedying critical financing problems. All stakeholders are called to focus on the ultimate goal of public education, which in all its forms, is increased student achievement.
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