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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California Governor Announces $463 Million in Bond Funds for Public Charter School Construction
On May 30, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced $463 million in state funds will be made available to the state's public charter schools for construction and modernization projects. The funding from Proposition 1D will help 29 public charter schools throughout the state. "This is exactly what the voters had in mind when they passed $10.4 billion for schools," Schwarzenegger said at an event at the Vaughn Next Century Learning Center. "Approximately 250,000 students in California attend a charter school," said State Schools Chief Jack O'Connell who joined Schwarzenegger in the announcement. "Charter schools are public schools, but many charter schools are located in facilities that were not originally designed as school sites. This can be a significant challenge to creating a healthy learning environment." The aid will be available to public charter schools that have the ability to raise matching funds and can demonstrate how the money will be used.
Source: Los Angeles Daily News, (06/01/2008)
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New Report Finds California's Public Charter Schools are Financially Stable and Academically Strong
A new annual report on the state of California's public charter schools finds that the schools are growing and maturing. The report from the Center on Educational Governance at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education notes that the pace of progress may have slowed but the rates of improvement of California charter schools have continued to outpace those of non-charter public schools. Public charter schools in the state have shown an improvement in their state rankings (API Composite), indicating improvement in overall academic achievement. Between 2004 and 2007, the number of public charter schools receiving the highest rankings went up by 3.8 percent (from 19.5 percent to 23.3 percent) and the public charter schools in the lowest rankings decreased by 3.9 percent (from 27.8 percent to 23.9 percent). The schools also have more assets relative to liabilities and have increased their financial reserves. "They're financially stable, their performance is strong; the pace of improvement has slowed down a bit but it's still on the upswing," said Center Director Priscilla Wohlstetter.
Source: LA Times (free registration required), (05/31/2008)
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Incentive Programs in Public Charter Schools Make Positive Impact on Reading Achievement
A recent study by researchers at the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University tested charter schools' use of incentive programs and found a "consistent impact of the programs across grades and designs in terms of student achievement gains on state achievement tests in reading." Reward systems using incentives such as concert tickets or iPods were found to have stable and positive impacts on reading achievement, but minimal impact on mathematics achievement. "The results from this report provide reasons for optimism about the potential for reward systems," said Margaret Raymond, director of CREDO. "Incentive programs may not be a silver bullet, but they appear to be a brass one."
Source: LA Times (free registration required), (05/30/2008)
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Developers Seek to Establish Network of Hebrew-Language Public Charter Schools
In an initial step to create a national network of publicly funded Hebrew schools, officials with the Steinhardt Foundation are planning to submit an application in early June to the New York City Department of Education and the New York State Board of Regents to open the Hebrew Language Academy Charter School in Brooklyn. The school would be the first New York public charter school to also offer Hebrew-language instruction and it would also teach Jewish culture and history and modern Israeli society. (A few regular New York public schools offer Hebrew as a foreign-language elective.) The nation's first Hebrew-language public charter school, the Ben Gamla Hebrew Charter School, sparked fierce debate when it opened last August in Hollywood, Florida. Some argue that such schools could blur the dividing line between church and state. Others see them as a way to strengthen culture without teaching religion. "What if we unrolled a nationwide system of Jewish charter schools focusing on Jewish elements, not on religious studies which appeals only to a minority of Jews anyway but on the elements of Jewish culture that make us strong?" Michael Steinhardt said. "It is clear that charter schools might be a solution to our communal needs. We would be foolish to ignore their potential." The NYC Department of Education and the NY Board of Regents will review public charter school applications this summer and are expected to give their decision by December 2008 or by January 2009.
Source: Forward, (05/28/2008)
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Countdown to New Orleans: National Charter Schools Conference Less Than One Week Away (June 22-25)
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools will host the 2008 National Charter Schools Conference from June 22-25 in New Orleans, LA. "Still We Rise: Achieving Academic Excellence at Scale" is the conference theme, reflecting the growth of quality public charter schools across America. The theme has special resonance in New Orleans, which boasts the nation's largest percentage of public charter school enrollment. Register for the conference or apply to sponsor/exhibit at http://www.nationalcharterconference.org. The conference is the largest gathering of charter school operators and proponents in the nation. Major speakers at the conference include Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, actor and education activist Danny Glover, Alliance President Nelson Smith and Geoffrey Canada, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Harlem Children's Zone. Attendees will learn and share best practices, discuss national and state policy issues, have the opportunity to volunteer at local charter schools, and enjoy special events featuring New Orleans traditions, food and music! Questions? Call 206-463-3344 or e-mail nationalconference@publiccharters.org.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (03/01/2008)
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