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Seven Things to Know About Charter Schools

A young boy standing in front of a charter school
  1. Charter schools are public schools. Charter schools are public schools that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" establishing each such school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment and ways to measure success. The length of time for which charters are granted varies, but most are granted for 3-5 years. You may choose to enroll you child in a charter school instead of the public school assigned to you by your local school district. You can consider any charter school in your district (or possibly outside of it, depending on your state.)

    Charter schools are not allowed to discriminate against who they admit, but it is not always easy to enroll in these schools. Popular charters are often in high demand, and may use a lottery to select student. When you apply to a charter school, ask about your chances of being admitted.
  2. Charter Schools have more opportunities to think creatively. Like other public schools, a charter must meet major state education standards, but there are many regulations that it does not have to meet. This gives the school more control over how it is run. Due to this flexibility, charter schools may be able to respond better to student needs. Although they must show academic growth, they are free to try different ways to help students achieve at higher levels. The degree of freedom a charter school has varies greatly by state.
  3. Charter schools come in many different shapes. Some charters serve particular groups of students. For example, they may support students with learning or behavior challenges. Some may focus on students who are interested in academics or in the arts. There are also charters that do not have a special focus. Some use a different approach, such as a thematic curriculum, and some simply provide an alternative to regular public schools. However, the makeup of schools varies from one nonprofit organization to another.
  4. Charter schools are run by different kinds of groups. They can be run by companies, parents, teachers, community groups or nonprofit organization. Charters may be started by one group and passed on to others over time. When researching a charter school, it's important to know who started it and who currently runs it. Be sure to ask also about its philosophy and how it’s doing financially. Most charter schools are new and small.

    The charter school movement began in the 1990s and has grown rapidly. Most are small in size, serving fewer students and offering smaller class sizes than regular public schools. There are now charter school laws in 40 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. More than 1 million students are currently enrolled in more than 3,500 charter schools.
  5. Charter schools may not produce better academic results than regular public schools. The research about charter school results is somewhat mixed. Some studies have shown that students make greater academic gains in charter schools; other studies have not. Charter school regulations and achievement tests vary from state to state. This makes it difficult to compare schools or draw conclusions on a national basis. Some parents who choose charters are often drawn to their small size and personalized learning. They may be less concerned with seeing better academic results.
  6. Charter schools receive funding from the state. Like in other public schools, state funding is calculated based upon the number of students in the school. Formulas vary from state to state and from school district to school district. In some states, such as Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota and New Jersey, charters do not receive exactly the same amount as other public schools. States and districts may take out a charter school fee. In other states, like California, additional funds are made available to charters to cover facilities and start-up costs.

    Many charters have large programs that are not fully funded through state or district money. To support these programs, they may apply for grants or find other types of donations. There is also some federal funding to help start new charter schools. Funding for facilities can be a challenge for charter schools.

    In some cases, districts provide free space for charters and/or pay for facilities. But even with this support, charter schools often end up moving multiple times. As you look at a charter school, be sure to ask about its building and whether it will need to move again in the future.
  7. Charter schools can be closed down by their authorizers. Authorizers are the groups that approve charter schools to open and monitor their performance. The authorizers vary from state to state and may include charter boards, school boards and universities. While each state's charter law is a bit different, the key reasons schools close are:
  • They can't recruit enough students
  • They can't find a stable space to operate
  • They can't manage their finances

    When researching a charter school, see if you can get a copy of the latest performance report. Some authorizers do very in-depth performance reviews of their schools, so these reports can give you important information about the school's long-term ability to succeed.
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