This is the first annual report of the 17-month initial study of Pennsylvania charter schools. The document contains interim information about the status and development of the state's charter schools and the charter-school initiative as a whole; it is not intended to be a summative evaluation of individual schools or the initiative, and it is not meant to be a full report of all the activities of the schools. The report is largely descriptive and is based upon the first round of surveys conducted during May and June 1999. Information gathered during site visits and interviews is considered to a lesser extent. The assessment opens with a description of charter schools and how they were started in Pennsylvania. It describes the methodology employed to gather data and lists the questions posed by the legislation that created the charter schools. Some of the specific areas addressed by the evaluation include staffing, educational achievement, student attendance, student discipline, governance, community involvement, and financial practices. Results of the teacher, staff, student, and parent surveys are provided. Information on working conditions, expectations, school quality, and school choice is also discussed. An appendix lists the charter schools that were surveyed and their stakeholders' responses. (RJM)