Over one million students are enrolled in more than 3,500 schools in 40 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico this year.
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What is the purpose of this site?
What is a charter school?
What’s the difference between charter schools and other public schools?
Who authorizes charter schools?
Who can start a charter school?
Who attends charter schools? Whom do they serve?
How are they funded?
How many are there?
Which states have charter schools?
Do charter schools have admissions policies?
How can I find a charter school in my area?
How can I find a particular type of charter school?
How can I start a charter school?
What kind of federal support is there for charter schools?
How can I learn from others who have started their own schools?
How can I find a job at a charter school?
How can I advertise a job at a charter school?
How can I find out about conferences and events?
Where can I find a complete list of charter schools?
How are charters doing?
What do we know about how charter schools operate?
What can I find a particular resource or research report?
How do I cite information given on this site?
What is the purpose of this site?
The US Charter Schools Web site is a valuable source of information and knowledge for charter school developers, operators, parents, researchers and policy makers. Specifically, this web site provides a wide range of information and links to
resources to guide charter schools in every phase of their development, from start-up, to expansion, to renewal. It also provides a "Community Exchange" environment that allows for discussion and the exchange of ideas between schools and various support providers. Lastly, the site’s State Profiles contain contact information for resource centers to assist parents who are interested in learning more about and/or enrolling their children in a charter school.
We do not operate a charter school; rather, we are a learning community that supports the exchange of information for and about the charter school movement.
For more information about this site, click here.
What is a charter school?
A charter school is a nonsectarian public school of choice that operates with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" establishing each such school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. The length of time for which charters are granted varies, but most are granted for 3-5 years. At the end of the term, the entity granting the charter may renew the school's contract. Charter schools are accountable to their sponsor-usually a state or local school board-to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract. The basic concept of charter schools is that they exercise increased autonomy in return for this accountability. They are accountable for both academic results and fiscal practices to several groups: the sponsor that grants them, the parents who choose them, and the public that funds them.
More on this and other general information about charter schools (e.g., benefits, history, etc.) is available in the Overview.
What's the difference between charter schools and other public schools?
Charter schools are public schools of choice, meaning teachers and students choose them. They operate with freedom from many regulations that apply to traditional public schools. They generally offer teachers and students more authority to make decisions than most traditional public schools. Instead of being accountable for compliance with rules and regulations, they are accountable for academic results and for upholding their charter. To learn more about what sets charter schools apart from their counterparts, read Ten Things to Know About Charter Schools
When drafting charter school laws, most states explain their intent to: (1) increase opportunities for learning and access to quality education for all students, (2) create choice for parents and students within the public school system, (3) provide a system of accountability for results in public education, (4) encourage innovative teaching practices, (5) create new professional opportunities for teachers, (6) encourage community and parent involvement in public education, and (7) leverage improved public education broadly.
Who authorizes charter schools?
This varies from state to state, depending on the state’s charter law. In California, for example, there are three types of authorizers: the governing board of the school districts, county boards of education, or the state board. In Pennsylvania, individuals or groups seeking to establish a charter public school must apply to the local school board of the district in which the school will be located. Generally there are four types of entities allowed to authorize charter schools: the local school board, state universities, community colleges, and the state board of education.
Who can start a charter school?
Parents, community leaders, businesses, teachers, school districts, and municipalities can submit a charter school proposal to their state's charter authorizing entity.
For additional information on how to start a charter school, please visit our Starting a Charter School page.
Who attends charter schools? Whom do they serve?
Nationwide, students in charter schools have similar demographic characteristics to students in all public schools. In some states charter schools serve significantly higher percentages of minority or economically disadvantaged students than the traditional public schools.
How are they funded?
As public schools, charters are not allowed to charge tuition, and they are funded according to enrollment. In some states, such as Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, and New Jersey, they receive less than 100% of the funds allocated to their traditional counterparts for the operation of public schools. In other states, like California, additional funds or loans are made available to them. In most states, charters do not receive capital funds for facilities. They are entitled to federal categorical funding for which their students are eligible, such as Title I and Special Education monies. Federal legislation provides grants to help charters with start-up costs.
How many are there?
Since the first charter school opened in Minnesota in 1992, the charter school movement has grown to more than 3,000 schools operating nationwide in 2004-2005, serving over 700,000 students.
Excerpted from Center for Education Reform
Which states have charter schools?
As of 2004, 40 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have passed charter school laws. The states are: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Of these forty, 39 states currently have charter schools. There are no charter schools open yet in Tennessee..
Do charter schools have admissions policies?
By law, charter schools must have a fair and open admissions process, conducting outreach and recruitment to all segments of the community they serve. When more students apply than can be accommodated, many charters use a lottery to randomly determine which students are accepted. Many charter schools also have waiting lists.
How can I find a charter school in my area?
For information about public charter schools in your area, visit our State Profiles.
There, you will find contact information and links to the websites of your local charter school resource center and State Department of Education. They will have a complete list of authorized charter schools in your state.
How can I find a particular type of charter school?
The Center for Education Reform publishes the "National Charter School Directory", which provides contact information and profiles of charter schools in operation nationwide. It also provides information on "specially-focused" schools such as Arts-based, Core Knowledge and Montessori schools.
How can I start a charter school in my area?
For information about starting a public charter school, read our Starting a Charter School page.
Next, contact your local charter school resource center for more information about the factors to consider in your state. You can find contact information on our State Profiles pages.
What kind of federal support is there for charter schools?
Through the Public Charter Schools Program, the U.S. Department of Education offers grants to states, which then award subgrants to individual schools to assist them in planning, design, and initial implementation of new charter schools. Dissemination grants are also available to successful charter schools, with three or more years of experience, to support activities through which they help other groups open new or improve existing public schools. Charter schools are also eligible for funding under other federal programs.
For more information on federal funding and other resources, visit the Federal Support section of this site.
How can I learn from others who have started their own schools?
The US Charter Schools website hosts the Charter Community Exchange which provides a forum for collaboration, information exchange, and discussion among its participants. The information in the charter community exchange is available to all visitors to view or read. However, in order to participate - by sending a message to a discussion group - you need to register first.
How can I find a job at a charter school?
For information about teaching opportunities in your area, visit our State Profiles. There you will find contact information and links to the charter school resource center in your area. They may have information about teaching positions and requirements in the state.
We also have a Job Board on our Web site where registered users post charter school jobs. To post a resume, you will need to register as a user of the site.
How can I advertise a job at a charter school?
To post a job, visit our Job Board. To post a job, you must be a registered user of the site.
How can I find out about conferences and events?
Our National Calendar lists workshops and conferences that are happening around the country by month. We also maintain current information about the
National Charter Schools Conference.
We send regular updates about the National Conference to registered users of the site, as well as information about other charter school events and developments. To subscribe, go to our Charter Schools News Connection page and click "Subscribe."
Where can I find a complete list of charter schools?
The Center for Education Reform publishes the "National Charter School Directory" which provides a listing of the charter schools in the nation.
How are charter schools doing?
This is the area in which current research is centered and where more data are needed. Some schools have already been successful enough to have their charters renewed, which means their sponsors were satisfied that they met the original goals of their charter. A few charters have been revoked due to lack of proper financial management or lack of achievement. Charter schools have shown improvement in both parent and student satisfaction and in innovation in technology, curriculum, assessment, and governance.
What do we know about how charter schools operate?
- Most charter schools are newly created, while some are converted from existing schools.
- Most charter schools are small schools (median enrollment is 242 students compared with 539 in traditional public schools).
- They serve many different communities with a wide variety of curriculum and instructional practices.
- They vary a lot from state to state and school to school.
- Many charter schools have atypical grade configurations (K-3, K-8).
- Most charter schools provide one or more non-instructional services, like health, social services, or extended day care.
Where can I find a particular resource or research report?
Our website provides access to over 1,300 various resources on the charter schools movement. To locate a particular resource, please visit our Resource Directory Search page, where you will be able to search by topic, type, title, etc.
How do I cite information given on this site?
Please consult our Copyright page for more information.
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