Society must reconceptualize the public school as any nonprofit entity willing to be accountable for educating our children. The new system should emphasize common standards and school choice. Charter experiments in Moses Lake, Washington; Milwaukee; and Harlem demonstrate the power of choice and transformational leadership. (Contains 11…

The "Quarterly" offers a comprehensive overview of work done across all of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Each issue includes short publications and summaries covering all NCES publications and data products released in a given time period as well as notices about training and funding opportunities. In addition,…

Charter schools incorporate the focus of magnet schools but often go beyond their academic specialization to more social goals. They can operate at both elementary and secondary levels, although they are always quite small. The greatest difference, however, between charter schools and other public schools is their status as a bridge between public…

This booklet provides business leaders and coalitions with information and resources they can use to support charter schools in their own communities. Section 1 provides a brief overview of the charter school movement and discusses the key features of charter schools, which are self-managed public schools that operate through performance contracts…

In recent years there has been a substantial change in the way education is structured, managed, and financed in Australia. The move toward more self-managing schools, with school councils, school charters, school global budgets, quality assurance, and other features has been especially apparent in the state of Victoria, where the Schools of the…

Although charter schools are rapidly becoming an integral part of the public-school landscape, much remains unknown about them. This paper reports on the findings of a descriptive-research study that comprised an analysis of U.S. charter-school statutes. The focus of the investigation was on equity in the areas of student recruitment, admission…

This collection of papers identifies the leading sources of inequality in public education and proposes public policy remedies. The eight chapters are: (1) "Introduction: Making K-12 Public Education an Engine for Social Mobility" (Richard D. Kahlenberg); (2) "Summer Learning and Home Environment" (Doris R. Entwisle, Karl L. Alexander, and Linda…

The United States Department of Education's (Department or ED) Public Charter Schools Program (PCSP) provides support for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of charter schools; the evaluation of the effects of charter schools; and the dissemination of information about charter schools and successful practices in charter…

Case studies of nine Alberta charter schools examined the role of charter schools in educational reform. The real promise of charter schools resides less in fostering innovation and efficiency in public education, and more in providing parental school choice and addressing diverse values and goals of education. (Contains 28 references.) (Author/TD)

Discusses the impact of school choice on educational outcomes, examining: whether there is any evidence that the various alternatives to traditional public schools are delivering education in a fundamentally different and more efficient form; what the equity consequences and demographic implications are for enhanced school choice; and how enhanced…

Hugh Price has dedicated his career to achieving racial equality. The president of the National Urban League stresses each child's right to a high-quality preschool education, highly qualified teachers with high expectations, access to challenging courses of study, and organization of communities for learning, not just maintaining order. (MLH)

This paper traces the evolution of the choice idea over three generations, from a market model concerned with economic liberty, to a demand for social justice based on equality, to a political movement that translates the idea into policy. Focusing on the last generation, it explains why the market concept has lacked political appeal and how…

A reference work that presents a chronology focusing on special education, its development, and the important issues that both positively and negatively affect the field. Updated through current events, this second edition provides an excellent introduction to special education in all of its practical aspects--how it developed, its curriculum,…

This report is based on background research and a community forum held in September 1990 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and addresses issues related to equal education for American Indians in Minnesota public schools. Minnesota's Native American population is increasing, is younger than non-Indian Minnesotans, and is becoming more urban than rural. The…

Charter schools are created and managed by an entity composed of parents and/ or teachers, community and/or business leaders, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses. Many people believe that charter schools can provide a high quality education without the regulatory constraints of the conventional public schools. This digest reviews…