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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Authorizing Standards, Benchmarks & Evaluation Criteria (Draft)
The National Association of Charter School Authorizers is revising its standards and benchmarks for professional authorizing and is seeking comment on the latest draft. First published in 2004, "Principles and Standards for Quality Charter School Authorizing," is the nation's definitive authorizing guidelines. While widely acclaimed by authorizers, public charter school advocates and state and federal policy leaders, NACSA is seeking to update and strengthen the document.
Public Charter Schools Job Board
The Public Charter Schools Job Board at http://jobs.publiccharters.org/ has recently added several new teaching, administrative and executive positions to its growing list of employment opportunities. Sixty positions in 25 states are now currently listed. Employers may post openings free of charge. Job-seekers may post their resumes for employers to see, also without cost. The site is sponsored by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Charter School Facilities: School Energy Savings
In response to rising fuel costs and other school expenses, the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities offers a helpful list of links, books, and journal articles on heating, cooling, lighting, and maintaining school and campus facilities that results in energy efficiencies.
2008 Education Next-PEPG Survey of Public Opinion
In this second annual national survey of U.S. adults conducted for Education Next and the Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) at Harvard University, researchers find, as they did in 2007, a plurality of the overall public and every subgroup continue to support public charter schools. Forty-two percent of the public support public charter schools, while only 16 perfect oppose them. A considerable portion of the public (41%) remains undecided about public charter schools. An equal amount of public school teachers (33%) support and oppose public charters. The subgroups most likely to support public charters are Whites and African Americans (42%). Hispanics were more likely than the other groups to be undecided about public charters.
Evaluation Report: Charter Schools in Minnesota
This report from Minnesota’s Legislative Auditor shows mixed results for the state's public charter schools. Only one-half of public charter schools made AYP in 2007, while more than two-thirds of district schools made AYP during this same time period. The results, however, varied by region. For example, in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where public charter schools are concentrated, a larger percentage of public charter schools made AYP than district schools. Fifteen percent of public charter schools performed better on state assessments than district schools with similar demographics. More than one-half of public charter schools performed worse than comparable district schools on the state math exam and nearly 40 percent performed worse on the reading exam. When accounting for student mobility rates (in addition to region, percentage of minority students, and percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), the differences in performance diminished significantly.
Out of Jail and Into Jobs: Maya Angelou Public Charter School Offers Hope and an Education to Kids in Trouble
This article, written by James Forman Jr., cofounder of the Maya Angelou Public Charter School and a professor at Georgetown Law School, examines how public charter schools can reach out and meet the needs of students who have been behind in school, had been suspended or expelled, or are in the juvenile justice system. The author examines how Maya Angelou Public Charter School in Washington D.C. successfully educates these types of students. The steps include high expectations, providing a rich, robust, and relevant curriculum (with lessons focused on essential skills, content, and questions, and a combination of direct instruction and project-based, cooperative learning in every class) and building and retaining trust. Measuring progress in alternative public charter schools can be a challenge. Few assessments measure a child’s academic growth over time, or enable educators to compare academic growth with students elsewhere. For now the Maya Angelou PCS is relying on postsecondary participation and completion rates to see what positive impact the school has made on the lives of students. Early data show that the schools' students, despite struggling with academic deficits, outperform their peers after graduation. The author calls for more public charter schools like Maya Angelou PCS, "places of hope, of learning, of caring."
Urban School Performance Report: An Analysis of Ohio Big Eight Charter and District School Performance with a Special Analysis of Cyber Schools
On Ohio's new valued-added assessment system which tracks student growth, urban public charter schools were more likely to achieve Above Expected Growth than were non-charter public schools (26.8% v. 21.8%). Both urban charter and non-charter schools, however, continued to perform substantially below the state's goal of 75 percent proficiency. Less than six in ten students in both types of schools were proficient in reading in 2007-08. In math, less than one-half of students were proficient. In the state performance rating system, only 19 percent of urban non-charter public schools were rated Effective or Excellent, compared with just 12 percent of urban charter schools. The analysis also examined the performance of online public charter schools (e-schools) and found that while 64.2 percent of schools statewide made AYP, only 31.4 percent of the state’s public charter e-schools did. Over 61 percent of e-schools were in the Academic Watch or Emergency state performance designation, versus 13.3 percent of public schools statewide. While e-schools lagged behind in reading and math performance, public charter e-school students outperformed schools statewide in science, writing, and citizenship.
California Charter Schools Conference, March 10-12
The 16th Annual California Charter Schools Conference will be held March 10-13, 2009 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. The theme of this year's conference is "Quality Charter Schools Strengthen Communities." In addition to keynote speakers, student performances, networking events, more than 150 breakout sessions will be offered. For questions and more information about the conference, e-mail charterconf@continue.uoregon.edu or call 1-800-280-6218.
Florida Charter School Conference, Orlando (November 20-21)
The Twelfth Annual Florida Charter School Conference, hosted by the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, will take place November 20-21 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Orlando. The theme is "Charters: Providing Choice, Creating Change.”
National Green Charter Schools Conference, Madison, WI (November 7-9)
The Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin and the Green Charter Schools Network invite the public charter school community to learn about environment-focused public charter schools at the first national Green Charter Schools Conference on November 7-9, 2008 in Madison, Wisconsin. Conference goals include professional development for educators, opportunities for collaboration among environmental scientists and green school operators, and information on public charter school-based environmental education that supports high levels of academic achievement for all students and fosters citizenship and stewardship.
Arizona Charter Schools Conference, Carefree (November 10-11)
At its 2008 conference,“Excellence by Design,” the Arizona Charter Schools Association is hosting more than 40 educational sessions led by state and national experts tailored to the needs of public charter leaders, administrators, business managers, teachers and board members. Attendees are encouraged to join round-table discussions, build peer-to-peer networks, and share best practices. The conference features Entrepreneurial Leadership Specialist Gregg Vanourek, Director of School Leadership Development for the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence Glenn Liebeck, Rebecca Gau of the Arizona Charter Schools Association and Dr. Yvonne Chan, who has consistently pushed the limits of education for nearly 40 years as an educator, school leader, and the founder of the first conversion charter school in the nation.
Michigan Charter Public Schools Conference, Detroit (November 3-4)
Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA) will host the 11th annual Michigan Charter Public Schools Conference on November 3-4, 2008 at Cobo Hall in Detroit under the theme "The Call for Greatness." The two-day event is geared for educators, school board members, parents and potential public charter school founders. More than 100 speakers will cover topics for all levels through seminars, breakout sessions and table talks. Plus, vendors will be on hand to provide resources and new educational tools.
National Association of Charter School Authorizers Annual Conference, Indianapolis, IN (October 27-28)
NACSA’s 8th Annual Conference, themed "Setting the Pace," will take place on October 27-28, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis. It will feature practice-oriented workshops focused on public charter school authorizing, as well as policy, research and strategy sessions.
Missouri Charter Schools Conference, Columbia (October 16-17)
At its second annual state conference next month, the Missouri Charter Public Schools Association is offering a wide of topics designed for school leaders, teachers, board members and others in 24 breakout sessions over two days. The conference’s featured speaker will be charter school pioneer Howard Fuller. The schedule also affords ample opportunities to network with colleagues and charter supporters throughout the state.
Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools' Annual Conference, Columbus (October 14-15)
The Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools Annual Conference will be held October 14-15 at the Crowne Plaza Columbus - North. The conference, themed “Charting the Course to Quality,” features educator Dr. Rita Pierson, Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, and National Alliance for Public Charters Schools President and CEO Nelson Smith. In "Success Against the Odds," Pierson will kick-off the conference on Tuesday, October 14, addressing how the social and academic needs of students facing overwhelming social circumstances can be met (without sacrificing teacher sanity in the process). On Wednesday, October 15, Smith and Husted will team up for a "State of the Movement," progress report covering important issues on the state and national level. Registration is available online.
Fair Trade: Five Deals to Expand and Improve Charter Schooling
In this Ideas at Work series from Education Sector, five policy initiatives designed to reduce the tension between charter school advocates and critics and to encourage high-quality charter school growth are discussed. They include: (1) lifting the limits on the number of charter schools in exchange for more rapid expansion of proven models; (2) trading high test scores from some charter schools for space for charter schools to operate; (3) linking transitional aid for public schools to access to facilities for charter schools; (4) tying increases in school funding to the expansion of high-quality charter schooling; and, (5) unionizing some charter schools with teachers' contracts that reflect charter schooling values.
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