Successive UK governments have not clarified educational standards. The Tory government promulgated autonomous grant-maintained schools. Now Labour plans to "reinvent" this sector via foundation and voluntary schools with reduced powers. A recent study found that headteachers believed grant-maintained status (and enhanced funding) helped…

Examined the dynamics of organizational change in higher education institutions and whether chartering a higher education organization would lead to increased faculty responsiveness and involvement in reform efforts. Data from interviews with school faculty, administrators, and other involved parties indicated that faculty work changed, work…

This final report discusses the outcomes of a study that examined how charter school developers have used the opportunities provided by their charters to serve students with disabilities. Between March 1998 and June 1999, 32 public charter schools in 15 states were visited and 151 parents of students with disabilities, 196 teachers, and 164…

This paper reports efforts at Central Missouri State University to broaden student teachers' perspectives using field experiences in urban charter schools. Early childhood teacher candidates were required to spend at least two days in an urban charter school kindergarten class. The first day was spent observing and helping teachers and/or children…

Although charter schools have provoked much interest, there has not been a systematic nationwide effort to ask the clients and teachers of charter schools what they think about them. During the 1996-97 school year, Hudson Institute's Charter Schools in Action Project gathered quantitative data that describe 50 charter schools enrolling…

This report offers a comprehensive account of Thomas B. Fordham Foundation's sponsorship policies and practices, including a history of its sponsorship efforts, as well as individual profiles of all Fordham-sponsored schools in Ohio. Included in the profiles are in-depth descriptions of each school's educational program, school philosophy, and…

This article unpacks the decision to decharter a successful urban middle school serving African American students, especially focusing on parental choice in a school caught between two urban reform initiatives: charter schooling and state takeovers of urban districts. Originally chartered by a university, DeCharter became a "school of choice" in…

The purpose of this study was to examine the startup of a charter elementary school specifically designed to be fully inclusive. Twenty-one adult stakeholders, including parents, teachers, staff, and an administrator, were interviewed and asked a series of questions designed to solicit information about what they identified as strengths and…

The purpose of the present evaluation study was to examine the progress made in program implementation, school climate, and student achievement by the seven charter schools. A "mixed-methods" design, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative data, was employed. The questions upon which the evaluation methods are based relate to the…

This study supports efforts by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to foster greater state accountability and establish data-driven planning and self-assessment processes that help states and schools to address provisions of the recently enacted Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act…

Inverness Research studied the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Seminars on Science program for eight years, from its inception in 1998 to 2006. This paper presents teacher survey ratings for "The Diversity of Fishes", along with profiles of two teachers who took the course. Course takers report on the annual follow-up surveys…

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,…

Extending the school day and year is not easy. The conventional calendar remains one of the most intractable features of the American educational system. Altering the traditional school schedule has significant ramifications for parents, students, teachers, and school administrators. This reform impacts student and family schedules, transportation…

The following are among the 47 papers included: "Academic Performance and Retention of College of Agriculture Students" (Garton, Dyer, King); "Perceptions of Recent Graduates and Employers about Undergraduate Programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University" (Heyboer, Suvedi);…