The U.S. Department of Education has released a new publication on creating and maintaining successful charter schools, summarizing its vision for the future of the charter school sector in the U.S. and outlining steps to happen to achieve that vision.

Produced by the Department's Office of Innovation and Improvement, A Commitment to Quality: National Charter School Policy Forum Report draws from discussions with charter school leaders at the Department's forum on charter schools in May 2008, as well as 15 years of research and experience with charter schools. The forum, which shared lessons and outlined future directions for the charter sector, featured nearly 100 of the foremost leaders on charter schools from across the nation.

"We believe the charter sector can do more to fulfill its promise as an engine of educational innovation and quality for students across the country," said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. "This publication further outlines our shared vision for achieving a vibrant and successful charter school community throughout the nation and we hope it will serve as an informative and useful tool for education leaders."

Since charter schooling began in Minnesota in 1991, the movement has expanded to more than 4,300 schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 1.2 million students. The report indicates that in several states - including Tennessee, Massachusetts, Alaska, Idaho, Rhode Island, and Utah - more than 70 percent of charter schools had reading proficiency rates for their low-income students that exceeded statewide rates for low-income students in 2006-07. These schools demonstrate that high standards and a strong commitment to accountability can get results for those students traditionally most underserved by the public school system.

In addition, the report outlines the following six principles to produce and maintain quality charter schools:

• Charter schools achieve excellence early in their operations;

• Charter schools improve their performance year in and year out;

• Charter schools that achieve consistently strong results can expand and replicate;

• Charter schools have access to a robust infrastructure to help students and teachers succeed;

• Authorizers address chronic underperformance by closing the school and opening superior options swiftly; and

• Charter schools strengthen all corners of public education by sharing successful practices and fostering choice and competition among schools.

"Living up to these principles calls for a renewed commitment to excellence, accountability and innovation," said Secretary Spellings. "By working together, I'm confident we'll continue to see more quality charter schools created for our students."

The new publication reflects the latest thinking on charter schools from renowned practitioners and policymakers, including charter school operators, leaders of charter school support organizations, researchers, policy experts, philanthropists and other funders.

To view A Commitment to Quality: National Charter School Policy Forum Report, visit http://www.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/csforum/report.html.

###

Top

Back to October 2008