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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Is Chartering, as a Strategy, Succeeding?
In this article Ted Kolderie says chartering can be succeeding even though not every school chartered is succeeding. But we do not now know enough to evaluate fully the success of chartering. He writes: "We know how many schools are created, where they are and how large they are. But research has told us little about their approach to learning, about their governance and culture and about their effects on young people and on the larger system." Some things are, however, apparent. Some schools are successful at customizing learning for the individual student. Chartering appears to be realizing its potential of creating a healthier school culture and, in some areas, may be increasing social equity. In evaluating the competitive effect, he says, be conscious that while chartering can create incentives, only districts change district schools. To get different schools policymakers will need to expand the new-schools sector significantly.
The Carnegie of School Choice
This Philanthropy magazine's essay on the late John Walton examines his significant influence on the charter school movement and expansion of school choice options. The Walton Family Foundation has given more than $700 million to education causes, with much of it being devoted to supporting charters. Under John Walton’s leadership, the foundation provided more than 500 charter schools with start-up capital of up to $250,000 each. The article discusses how Walton built a network of state charter school organizations, support groups, and advocacy groups to help the schools improve and to bolster the schools in often hostile political environments. "I don’t know if we'd have a charter school movement without John Walton," remarks Kim Smith, executive chairman and co-founder of NewSchools Venture Fund. The essay includes numerous examples of Walton's generous spirit and noteworthy impact on the national charter school movement.
Charter School Type Matters when Examining Funding and Facilities: Evidence from California
This study from RAND researchers examines which charter schools struggle most with accessing adequate resources and facilities. Fiscal challenges were most likely to be experienced by start-up charter schools rather than district school conversions. Start-up charter schools were less likely to participate fully in categorical funding programs and had less access to facilities support. Start-up charter schools were more likely to rely on private funders for support than conversions or regular district schools. The researchers recommend that policymakers be more conscious of how funding models affect start-up charter schools.
Charter School Coalition
The Charter Coalition (TCC) is comprised of community development organizations that share a common mission to improve the viability of low-income and economically distressed communities with each member currently providing financial and development services to charter schools in low-income communities. The primary goals of the TCC include: leveraging the expertise and resources of its members to increase the accessibility to capital and technical assistance to charter schools; formulating industry best practice among community development practitioners; and creating a collective voice to advocate actively for public policy changes that support charter schools' efforts to build and strengthen communities. Ongoing activities include establishing consistent communications and networking opportunities, formulating best practices, and increasing resources and access to real estate development resources.
Charter School Growth Fund
The Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF) is seeking qualified charter school operators nationwide for it 2006 planning process. CSGF is a philanthropic venture firm that makes early-stage grants and loans for the development of charter management and support organizations that provide a quality education option to underserved students. CSGF accomplishes this mission by providing proven charter school operators with the guidance and resources necessary to create self-sufficient networks of high-performing schools.The application is available on CSGF's website (http://chartergrowthfund.org/) with regional information meetings in early January. The deadline is February 6, 2006.
Peaks & Valleys: Colorado's Charter School Landscape
This study examines the evolution and current status of charter schools in Colorado. Charter schools first started in the state in 1993; now, more than 108 charter schools serve nearly 40,000 students (about five percent of the state’s public school population). Unlike the national trend for charter schools, Colorado's charters serve smaller percentages of minority and low-income students than traditional public schools, but recently those gaps have started to narrow. The state's charter schools outperform non-charter public schools, except at the high school level. The author says a challenge facing the state's charter school movement is to expand without sacrificing the commitment to create high-quality public school options that raise the achievement levels of all students.
Using the Ohio Proficiency Test to Analyze the Academic Achievement of Charter School Students: 2002-2004
This analysis uses Ohio Proficiency Test (OPT) data from 2002 to 2004 to examine improvement in charter school student achievement and to compare school performance between schools with similar student populations. The report finds that charter schools in Ohio made greater gains on the OPT than district schools on five sections of the test: 4th grade Citizenship, Math, Reading, and Writing, and 6th grade Writing. Researchers found no statistically significant differences between district and charter schools on five other tests: 4th grade Science and 6th grade Citizenship, Math, Reading, and Science. In all cases, charter schools performed as well or better than traditional public schools.
Rebuilding New Orleans Schools
This PBS report looks at the challenges facing returning students, teachers and administrators as they return to New Orleans schools. It examines the critical role charter schools are playing in reforming the city's long-troubled public school system.
CSRQ Center Report on Elementary School Comprehensive School Reform Models
This report, and searchable database, provides a scientifically-based, easy-to-use review of the effectiveness and quality of 22 widely-adopted elementary school comprehensive school reform (CSR) models. Each model serves a minimum of 20 elementary schools in at least three states and is available for adoption in almost all states. Most models serve high-poverty students in low-performing schools. Education stakeholders can use these items as decision-making tools to help them sort through options among the hundreds of elementary school improvement choices available. Only two models (Direct Instruction and Success for All) were found to have moderately strong evidence of positive effects on student achievement.
Fall 2005 Accountability Report on Mayor-Sponsored Schools
This annual accountability report presents a detailed analysis of charter schools sponsored by the Mayor of Indianapolis. Findings include test scores of students enrolled at least two years in Indianapolis' public charter schools improved at a faster rate than scores of their peers in traditional district schools. At four charters, the percentage of students in all grades tested who passed state assessments increased 22 percentage points from 2002 to 2004. In contrast, the statewide overall passing rate for traditional public school students improved by just one percentage point during the same period. In addition, in 62 percent of all charter school grades and subjects, students progressed at a faster pace on average than their district school peers on the Northwest Evaluation Association's (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress test. Eighty-nine percent of parents and 85 percent of staff reported overall satisfaction with their charter school.
2006 National Charter Schools Conference
U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana is now scheduled to participate live, via satellite, on March 2 at the 2006 National Charter Schools Conference (to be held February 28 - March 3, 2006 in Sacramento, CA).* In a conversation with John Merrow (host of PBS' Learning Matters), she will discuss the impact of what is happening in New Orleans on the overall charter school movement. Other featured speakers include Bill Nye the Science Guy and a host of national charter experts and advocates who will share their perspectives on the state of the charter movement. View programming (over 170 sessions and table-talk discussions to choose from) and speaker details, as well as register and make hotel reservations at the conference web site at http://www.charterconference.org. To register by phone, call 800-280-6218. *Participation subject to Senator Landrieu's schedule.
Authorizer Self-Evaluation Instruments
This set of Authorizer Self-Evaluation Instruments in based on NACSA’s Principles &
Standards for Quality Charter School Authorizing. The instruments identify benchmarks which are intended to provide definition of the kinds of practices, actions and activities a quality authorizer conducts. They are intended to help authorizers reflect on their practices by identifying authorizing strengths and areas for ongoing improvement.
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