The proliferation of high-quality independent charter schools is constrained by the shortage of founders committed to evidence-based school designs and possessing the broad-ranging skills to make good on their audacious plans. The time and energies of such exceptional leaders are deployed over years in building schools that rarely reach more than…

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…

This report presents information about public elementary and secondary education for the 2003-04 school year. The data were provided by state education agencies through the Common Core of Data (CCD) survey system, a universe data collection that includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Defense…

As state coffers continue to shrink this year, there is less money for education, and much of what is available is earmarked for mandates. Yet the money is out there if one knows how to find, create, or borrow it; the trick is to be creative. In this article, the author offers a dozen daring ideas for generating extra cash. The highest-profile…

This theme issue focuses on the drastic revision of the Texas education code undertaken during the 1995 state legislative session. "Education Policy Reform: Key Points for Districts" (Albert Cortez, Mikki Symonds) outlines critical issues in the legislation that have an impact on educational quality: charter schools exempt from state…

This paper presents information on various options designed to improve the education of gifted students in rural areas. The options discussed include: (1) using interactive television systems to offer more challenging courses to gifted students; (2) having rural schools collaborate and share their resources; (3) developing summer programs at…

The District of Columbia is four years into the implementation of a ten year Educational Facility Master Plan and seven years into the development of Public Charter Schools. A great deal of work to improve public school facilities has been done. The new buildings and renovations that have been completed by the District of Columbia Public Schools…

This book examines American education at the turn of the new millennium. It reviews its history and suggests, in broad terms, where it may be headed in the 21st century. Topics considered include a brief survey of the education "scene" today, the notion of a global village and ramifications for a global curriculum, technology related to…

In the Four Corners region of rural southwest Colorado is Battle Rock Charter School--a one-room school attended by students in grades 1-6 that live in McElmo Canyon. For most of the 1900s, the canyon's isolation meant that people lived and worked as they had in the previous century, and the community was allowed to retain its tiny school because…

In 1996, many states took action to give parents greater control over the education of their children. Many local school boards adopted initiatives to give parents educational choice and the ability to use vouchers to help pay tuition costs at schools of their choice. Over 200 new charter schools opened in 17 states, and an additional 6 states and…

This report attempts to present a balanced discussion of several key issues in the charter school movement. Its goal is to help school board members, especially those in urban districts, assess the record of charter schools so far, and understand the complexity of the issues involved. The first chapter presents a brief legislative history of the…

Although the law has been the vehicle for launching school-reform efforts, little attention has been paid to the ways in which legal mechanisms enable or constrain effective school reform; however, law-based school reforms (lawsuits, regulations, statutes, and collective-bargaining provisions) have not changed the fundamental character of the…

This is the fifth report prepared by the Center for Education Reform (CER) evaluating the capacity and flexibility of state laws promoting charter schools. Three primary factors were evaluated in preparing charter-school quality rankings by state. The center finds that the establishment of multiple sponsoring authorities, in addition to local…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) is the most extensive survey of elementary and secondary schools in the United States and the teachers and administrators who staff them. Sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics, SASS has been conducted four times. This report introduces the data from the 1999-2000 SASS. The SASS for…

Inspired by the gains in student achievement realized by the small schools movement in New York City, the Oakland Unified School District (California) has proposed creating a network of 10 new, small autonomous (NSA) schools over the next 3 years. School size will range between 250 and 500 students, depending on grade level. "Autonomous"…