Twelve studies find that overall gains in charter schools are larger than other public schools; four find charter schools’ gains higher in certain significant categories of schools; six find comparable gains; and, four find that charter schools’ overall gains lagged behind traditional schools.
Source: Charter School Achievement: What We Know, July 2005 Update
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: Business/Corporate Partnerships
: Community-Based Partnerships
: School-Based Fundraising
Business/Corporate Partnerships:
In-kind Contributions: These often take the form of an adopt-a-school program, usually for the donation of items such as computers and office or art supplies. But they can also involve the contribution of particular types of services, such as after school computer classes for the training of either students or school personnel, career/job counseling for students, the use of company facilities, employee gift-matching programs, scholarships, teacher/student recognition awards, guest lecturers, facilities construction, endowment building, etc.
Formation of Local Foundations: School-business partnerships are often facilitated by tax-exempt, not-for-profit foundations set up by local businesses, community organizations or by individuals associated with public schools. These partnerships work to generate revenue from other sources, such as tax-deductible donations from parents or businesses.
Selling or Leasing of Services and Facilities: Some schools are able to rent excess school space for a community or privately-sponsored event, sell advertising on their school buses, place vending machines on campus, sell billboard space on school buildings, rent roof top space for cellular relay antennas, etc.
Community-Based Partnerships:
Solicitation of Local Support: Community members and parents are sometimes willing to volunteer to help in school libraries and cafeterias, or help with clerical work and teach in classrooms. Many schools have established partnerships with local senior citizen organizations, for example.
Booster Clubs: These usually involve volunteer parent clubs that develop fundraising strategies, network with local businesses, and coordinate their services to their activities of choice, such as concession stands, coaching, transportation, uniforms, equipment, etc.
Cooperative Agreements with Other Social Service Providers: In order to maximize use of scarce fiscal and physical resources, some charter schools are able to share operational, instructional and programmatic costs with other government agencies providing social service to the school's children or their families, such as grounds maintenance, use of buildings, community pools and transportation vehicles.
Alternative Government Grant Programs: Some government grant programs require or encourage collaboration between local agencies, schools and other community-based organizations, such as obtaining seed money from Even Start Family Literacy Programs through collaborating with the agencies involved.
School-Based Fundraising:
School Fundraising Drives: These usually involve schoolwide activities such as bake sales, or allowing students to independently sell candy, flowers or coupon books from local establishments. These are often teacher-run and targeted to specific programmatic needs such as summer trips abroad or sports programs.
Passive Income or Investment Return: Though state law often restricts the types of investments that schools and districts are able to make (usually to low-risk options such as US Treasury Bills or certificates of deposit), some schools have implemented long-term investment strategies, such as endowments, which have the potential of becoming revenue sources in the future.
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