Learn more about the Department's partnerships, initiatives, and resources available under NCLB to increase the national understanding of the charter school model and expand the number of high quality charter schools. This summit will provide the opportunity for cross-state teams to work together in developing strategies to further increase and support the expansion of high quality charter schools in their states by:

• Facilitating a national dialogue on how States can use chartering as an intervention in low performing schools;
• Identifying successful State practices using chartering to meet the demands of NCLB;
• Equipping state leaders with current knowledge about successful charter school model and practices; and
• Providing State teams and federal level staff the opportunity to interact directly and learn about Department partnerships, initiatives, resources, and technical assistance available to States seeking to leverage Department resources in expanding the number of high quality charter schools.

May 1 - May 2, 2006
Speakers and Sessions include:

Keynote Speaker

• U.S. Secretary of Education - Margaret Spellings

Redefining Public Education for the 21st Century: The Charter School Model

• New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein
  Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson
• Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Vice President Leslie Jacobs

Raising Achievement and NCLB Flexibility: Growth Model Pilot Program

• Darla Marburger – Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
• Meredith Miller – Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development

Successful Charter School Models: Lessons Learned

• Dr. Sharon Horn – Director of Evaluation and Dissemination, Office of Innovation and Improvement
• Dr. Dick Carpenter – University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
• Jeanne Allen – Center for Education Reform
• Nikola Filby – Western Regional Education Laboratory

Measuring & Analyzing Charter Schools Academic Performance

• Richard Wenning – Colorado League of Charter Schools
• Dr. Macke Raymond – CREDO, Standford University
• Chris Moorehouse – United States General Accounting Office

Cyber Charter Schools: A Virtual Choice

• Tim Magner – Director, Office of Educational Technology
• SherI Rowe – Chief of Nonpublic, Private, and Charter School Services, Pennsylvania Department of Education
• Bob Corkins – Commissioner of Education, Kansas Department of Education

Special Education Infrastructure: How Charter Schools Can Access Support for Students with Disabilities

• Dr. Eileen Ahearn – National Association of State Directors of Special Education
• Cheryl Lange – Lange Consultants
• Cori Wahl – Minnesota Charter Schools Special Education Project
• Beth Giovannetti, President, End-to-End Solutions for Special Education (DC)
• Jean Hatch – Director of the Shasta Special Education Consortium

Register for the Showcase today!

If you have questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact the showcase logistics coordinator, Joshua Bridgewater, (240) 485-1700, or the Department's Charter Schools Program Director, Dean Kern, (202) 260-1882.