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…

Selected current readings in the area of school reform are presented. Seven selections in "The Front Lines" focus on current developments in educational change in the political arena. A section on "Charter Schools" contains eight readings on the development and implementation of charter schools. A section titled "School…

The Wayne State University Public School (UPS), Detroit (Michigan), a university-operated charter middle school, is strongly influenced by the educational reform movement. The evolution of UPS is documented as a case study of educational reform in the 1990s, focusing on the 1994-95 school year. The school is in an urban area marked by poverty and…

Charter schools are expected to be innovative and to look different than traditional public schools. There is evidence that charter school administrators are taking advantage of opportunities to be innovative in their hiring practices and that teachers in charter schools look different than their colleagues in traditional public schools. It is not…

This book argues that large American high schools have become obsolete and uses case studies of four new or restructured schools to show why smallness and distinctiveness are prerequisites for school reform. The large comprehensive high school developed as an economical means of providing a range of "tracks," from practical subjects for future…

In this report on student achievement in Edison Schools, the American Federation of Teachers compares student performance on state assessments in 2000-01 in each Edison-run school with other comparable schools in the state, generally those schools with the same grade level and similar populations of low-income students. These comparisons include…

In the past eight years, Chicago has created an excellent charter school model with help from across the city. Mayor Richard Daley supported the reform, Chicago Public Schools developed a thoughtful and proactive approval process, business and civic leaders championed the movement and provided technical support, and teachers and community groups…

This report is the first in a series exploring a variety of the organizational spaces being developed under strategies to change and improve K-12 education in Minnesota. One strategy seeks to create an environment that focuses on creating new and different schools and with them new choices for students and families. These reports are designed to…

This study was geared foremost to the needs and interests of district leaders and seeks to help them understand RSO/district relationships and make informed decisions about collaborating with external organizations. Its findings can also be of use to other key leaders of school reform such as school board members and other elected and appointed…

This paper is for policymakers, advocates, and analysts who understand that the issues surrounding the introduction of more market-based mechanisms into education are complex and who accept the view that evidence is useful in sorting out the issues. It uses the market framework of demand, supply, and market pricing to organize the extensive but…

This document strives to answer questions about school choice, such as What does school choice mean?, What does school choice look like?, and What are the likely consequences of giving parents greater voice in their children's education? Reports are grouped into three thematic chapters. In chapter 1, "Public-Public Choice," reports include:…

Schools within schools are large public schools that have been divided into smaller autonomous subunits to create a sense of community and cohesiveness among students and staff. This digest discusses the benefits, drawbacks, varieties, and sources of funding for schools within schools. Designers of these schools seek the advantages of both large…

In May 1996, the Education Commission of the United States, with the support of the Charles A. Dana Foundation, convened a 2-day meeting in Austin (Texas) to focus on urban school district reform and restructuring. Participants, who included state policymakers, superintendents of several urban school systems, and a number of education researchers…

This paper describes the Academic Summer Camp (ASC) initiated at The Accelerated School (TAS), the country's first charter accelerated school. The ASC delivers educational services to K-7 children and their parents in south central Los Angeles. Students are 40 percent African American and 60 percent Latino, and most qualify for the federal free…

Takeovers, charter schools, and P-16 systems are three issues in educational reform that have recently received a great deal of attention. For each of these issues, this report examines state activity in 2001 and early 2002, explores recent research findings, and offers key questions for state policymakers to consider. Until recently, state laws…