Most policymakers, charter school operators, and others immersed in the charter school movement since it began in the early 1990s have focused their attention primarily on charter schools, not on the public bodies that license these schools to operate. As the charter school movement has grown, there has been increasing recognition that effective…

Over the past few years, charter schools have received dramatic popular support. An overview of charter schools, including the arguments of their supporters and critics, is presented in this report. The text presents assumptions about the charter movement and discusses their strengths and weaknesses through a research-based synthesis. Advocates of…

This annotated video transcript follows the discussion of six experts in community relations and charter schools. The panel was convened as part of an initiative to identify the specific needs of charter-school founders and to develop a leadership-training program designed to address those needs. Each member of the panel shared his or her insights…

Proposes that the development of the next generation of teachers begin in special charter schools (grades 9-12) devoted to careers in teaching. Argues that the charter school is an ideal place to institute unique educational reform and prepare better-qualified teachers with a sense of social responsibility. Outlines objectives, basic design…

A charter school creates an Accountability Plan to articulate to the community and the state what goals the school will use to measure its success. These "Guidelines" are intended to give schools guidance on the type of data that provide compelling evidence, the desirable structure for goals and objectives, and how to most clearly present results.…

This guide introduces and updates information on the Arizona public school finance system. It is intended to promulgate a wider understanding of public school finance. It includes tables and figures listing revenue support trends and regulations. Topics cover school district financing prior to 1980, the "bucket-of-need" analysis of…

As the charter-school option has expanded across the country, contracting for educational management services is an increasingly available and attractive choice for charter-school governing boards and founding groups. To make contractual relationships work well, charter-school boards need to strike an effective balance between fulfilling their…

This workbook is part of a series devoted to all areas of charter-school development. The third of five workbooks, it focuses on assessment and accountability and examines such issues as academic accountability, fiscal accountability, public/parental accountability, rule compliance, assessment and evaluation, financial management, developing a…

This workbook is part of a series devoted to all areas of charter-school development. Fourth in the series, this volume focuses on governance and management, with an emphasis on creating an organizational structure, establishing strong leadership, handling personnel issues, creating a board and board bylaws, managing growth, and dealing with…

This manual provides information to help charter schools navigate the facility development process, including worksheets that can be customized to suit a particular school's needs. Sections cover how facility planning fits into business planning for charter schools, review a process for assessing a school's facility needs, and summarize how to…

In 1991, the charter school movement began in Minnesota and since then, 28 more states and the District of Columbia have passed similar versions of charter school law. This paper examines a facility planning model designed to help charter schools maximize their chances of succeeding in the effort to secure permanent facilities. The model includes…

Lists 15 World Wide Web sites that are either completely devoted to charter-school content or have a high percentage of charter-school content. Contains a brief overview of how the Web operates and a short list of basic Web terms. (LMI)

Alberta parents enjoy a range of choices for their children's education, including the option of home education. Alberta's "School Act" and its funding guidelines for education recognize the central role of parents in the education of their children. No matter what your decision about educational programming, your ongoing involvement…

This report is a general guide for people planning a charter school. In September 1995 the Program on Reinventing Public Education, a collaborative effort of the University of Washington's Institute for Public Policy and Management and the RAND Institute for Education and Training, sponsored a workshop on charter school startup. This report…

This guide is intended to help current and prospective charter school leaders decide whether and how to work with pre-existing "whole school designs." Such school designs range from those that cover one core element of school operations to designs covering almost every aspect of school operations. The guide contains initial information…