Here on the web pages of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Charter Schools Program (CSP), those individuals interested in charter schools can find support and information. The federal legislation authorizing our work grew from the desire of many Americans to offer parents and their children more choices among public schools and to give all students the opportunity to reach high academic standards.

Toward those ends, CSP provides money to create new high-quality public charter schools, as well as to disseminate information about ones with a proven track record. Federal funds are also available to replicate and expand successful schools; help charter schools find suitable facilities; reward high-quality charter schools that form exemplary collaborations with the non-chartered public school sector; and invest in national activities and initiatives that support charter schools. Collectively we expect these efforts to increase public understanding of what charter schools can contribute to American education. We encourage you to browse our pages, click on links, and absorb all you can about best charter school practices.

• Grants. CSP awards and administers eight grant competitions intended specifically for the charter school community. To find general information about these grants and who is eligible to apply, click here. For more specific information about where to apply for CSP grants, as well as to learn about other non-CSP grants for which charter schools are eligible, click here.

• Resources. The CSP funds many entities and organizations that provide rich and varied resources. These include the National Charter School Resource Center, the “go to” place for information on everything from sound authorizing principles to professional development for charter school teachers. For a list of other charter school resources, including all that we fund plus some that we don't fund, click here.

Meet our director and staff of nine, who review applications, administer the grants, provide technical assistance, and oversee a range of charter school projects.