This is the final report of a one-year evaluation of the Michigan Public School Academy (PSA) initiative. The evaluation involved both formative and summative evaluations and used both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study was conducted between October 1997 and December 1998. Data-collection methods included a charter-school survey and a…

This report was commissioned by the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN) and focuses specifically on the performance of charter schools in Connecticut. Performance gains made by charter schools on standardized tests relative to gains made by traditional public schools are examined. Also, a brief analysis looks at the extent to which…

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…

In 1998, The Cleveland Foundation developed a strategy to support select Cleveland area charter schools as part of its commitment to local school reform. The Cleveland Foundation provided start-up funding to four charter schools it deemed both promising and viable. In 2000, The Cleveland Foundation contracted with The Evaluation Center to provide…

In 1997, the Connecticut State Department of Education awarded a grant Western Michigan University to evaluate Connecticut's charter schools and charter school initiative from 1997-2002. The study used existing databases, site visits, focus groups, and surveys to gather data regarding the movement's effectiveness, progress, and impact, examining…

In 2001, the Pennsylvania Department of Education contracted with Western Michigan University to evaluate Pennsylvania's charter schools and charter school initiative over two years. The study used site visits, work sample review, document review, focus groups, portfolios and surveys to gather data regarding the movement's effectiveness, progress,…