The Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School was formed in response to the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993, which established 25 charter schools that were fully public in both funding and access. Its goals are influenced by Theodore Sizer's Coalition of Essential Schools. Initially, 120 students, 12 to 14 years old, attended. Five…

This guide provides users with a step by step approach to restructuring, from organizing a district team and assessing the district's capacity to govern restructuring decisions to conducting a school-by-school analysis and implementing a restructuring plan. The text of the guide is supplemented with templates, checklists, and other practical…

Along with national standards, charter schools are one of the most significant forces in education reform today. To their proponents, charter schools are revolutionary forces that help bring public education to world-class standards of quality. To skeptics, however, these forces threaten to undermine, or even destroy, this country's 150-year old…

Incubators are organizations that aim to decrease the learning curve for new schools and increase the likelihood that promising school plans will succeed. Incubators offer communities an innovative new way to support locally-initiated school designs. This design guide is intended to help people who are interested in starting a school incubator…

This handbook provides information on Colorado's charter-school program. It explains the process for establishing charter schools and discusses the purpose these schools serve. Information on how to apply for a charter is given and includes the required elements of a charter application, such as goals and objectives, educational program and…

This guide offers those who wish to establish a charter school some of the fundamentals of accessing, establishing relationships with, and working with the media. The first step is to appoint a key spokesperson or contact authorized to speak to the media and then give that person your school's mission statement. When dealing with the media, it is…

Presents the debate over charter schools. Describes what charter schools are and what they are like. Discusses participation and involvement in charter schools, charter school performance, and innovation and barriers of charter schools. Concludes that the success of the charter school movement will depend, in large part, on the ability of the true…

What does it look like when a school uses data wisely? "Data Wise in Action", a new companion and sequel to the bestselling "Data Wise", tells the stories of eight very different schools following the Data Wise process of using assessment results to improve teaching and learning. "Data Wise in Action" highlights the…

To provide policymakers, practitioners, and other education leaders with the knowledge needed to consider the issues surrounding charter schools, a survey of these schools is offered. The text opens with an overview of charter-school basics, including the types of schools that are permissible and the legal status of charter schools. It analyzes…

The Annual Report is a critical document in charter school accountability; it is intended to be a clear, concise report regarding school performance and its success in meeting Accountability Plan goals. The formatting for each school's report may be unique; however, there are required elements set forth in this document that must be included in…

Among the most challenging and complicated issues facing individual charter schools is the matter of accountability. It is difficult to know how a charter school is actually performing, mainly because much of the desired data about the school do not exist. This guide aims to overcome the lack of good accountability information by presenting a…

This is the third SERVE publication about charter school issues. It focuses on implementation concerns confronting policymakers and state-education agencies, with particular emphasis on charter-related issues and recommendations for policymakers. The text focuses on strategies for drafting charter school legislation, issues that affect…

This guidebook is intended for use by charter school planning groups as they prepare their applications to create a charter school in Colorado. It is also intended to guide charter school groups that have already implemented a program. It covers essential components of the charter school application and includes examples from existing charters.…

Offers points for consideration by both school boards and charter-school advocates. Important elements of a successful charter school include vision, hands-on administrators, a commitment to staff development, and founders who also serve as maintainers. (LMI)

Family-school partnerships are increasingly touted as a means of improving both student and school improvement. This recognition has led to an increase in policies and initiatives that offer the following benefits: improved communication between parents and educators; home and school goals that are mutually supportive and shared; better…