The first IDEA Public Schools' campus opened in 2000, just miles from the US-Mexico border in Donna, Texas. Fast-forward nearly two decades, and 79 IDEA public charter schools serve approximately 45,000 students across six regions, and those students consistently outperform their peers statewide on a range of metrics from proficiency to graduation and college enrollment (see Figure 1, page 2). Moreover, IDEA's leadership team and board have no intention of slowing down. Plans are underway to enroll 100,000 students by 2022--which would make it one of the five largest school districts in Texas. And IDEA has bigger plans as well; it aims to one day serve one million students as the country's largest school district. IDEA's experience shows how several strategies can work in the charter sector, including: (1) Have or bring on board top leaders who commit to growth; (2) Develop systems for scale when needed to manage more customers and employees, including information technology, human resources, finance, and key operational systems; (3) Tackle talent scarcity quickly and creatively; (4) Invest in innovation to pursue excellence and growth; and (5) Generate money to expand by producing cash flow from positive operating margins and continued revenue growth, and then invest in growth essentials. This report details each of these components of IDEA's approach, describes IDEA's culture of continuous improvement, provides considerations for future growth, and shares lessons for the field.