In Colorado, a charter school is a public school operated by a group of parents, teachers, and/or community members as a semi-autonomous school of choice within a school district, operating under a contract between the charter school members and the local board of education. This publication provides information on the operation of charter schools under Colorado law. Following the overview, section 2 describes the elements of a charter school application. Section 3 provides additional information relevant to charter school development: standards-based education; finance; accountability, evaluation, and assessment; food service; transportation; Chapter 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); Chapter 2 of the ESEA; other federal programs; special education; English Language Proficiency Act (ELPA); and a summary of Colorado regulations. The following resources are included in the final section: a copy of the state's Charter Schools Act, a list of organizations and contact persons, a list of Colorado charter schools, and an annotated bibliography on charter schools. (LMI)