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USCS State Profile

Tennessee

State Profile Title	Tennessee Charter School Information
List of State's Charter Schools	http://www.state.tn.us/education/fedprog/doc/TNCharSchs07_08.pdf
Header	6-30-00
Brief Overview	Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act was signed into law on July 4, 2002, making it possible for the state's first charter schools to open in the 2003-2004 school year. Three types of public charter schools are allowed in Tennessee: 1) Schools that provide alternatives for students in schools failing to make adequate yearly progress as determined by the state's accountability system. 2) Schools designed to address the needs of students with special needs as specified by IDEA. 3) Schools that provide local school systems with the opportunity to collaborate with Tennessee's public teacher training institutions. Seventy-five percent or more of the students enrolled in these schools must be considered at-risk.
Schools	Tennessee Charter Schools For a list of charter schools in this state, contact the State Department of Education. Contact information appears below.
Participants	Tennessee Participants
Key Contacts
Legislative Summary	Passed on July 4, 2002, the Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act (Public Chapter 850) allows for the operation of three types of schools, intended to serve students with special needs, at-risk students, or students attending failing schools. Public charter schools designed to address the needs of special education children or set up as a collaboration between a local school system and public teacher training institution are limited to a combined total of nine sites per year. Public charter schools created as an option for schools failing to meet adequate yearly progress are limited to the number of schools identified as failing to meet the state's adequate yearly progress standard. In school systems where there are more than thirty such schools, the number of charter schools in those systems is limited to 1/3 of the total number. Public charter school sponsor must apply to the local board of education to create a new school or convert an existing public school to a charter school. Charter agreements are for 5 years. Link to the Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act of 2002 (Public Chapter 850)