This report examines the first-year finances of Massachusetts' first 15 charter schools. Analysis of the financial statements of these schools offers insights into how their boards of trustees allocated funds as they tried to meet academic goals and survive as new organizations. Revenue and expenditure patterns were compared with national district…

In 1995, the Texas Legislature mandated the formation of Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs (JJAEPs) to serve adjudicated youth in counties with a population of 125,000 or more. Some less-populated counties formed their own JJAEPs. This paper presents a comparison of these voluntary programs to the mandated programs. Of the 22…

In authorizing charter schools, Colorado created an avenue for parents, teachers, and community members "to take responsible risks and create new, innovative, more flexible ways of educating all children within the public school system." A brief outline of charter schools, followed by detailed instructions on how to apply for and start a…

This report examines the operational and educational changes that school administrators attribute to charter schools. It is part of the U.S. Department of Education's 4-year study to document and analyze the charter-school movement. The study asked two questions: What changes have districts made in district operations and district education that…

This workbook is part of a series devoted to all areas of charter-school development. Fifth in the series, this volume focuses on community relations and how school founders can handle public relations, market their school, and deal with controversy. The text is divided into three sections. Section one examines why schools should engage in public…

This report examines the laws, regulations, and practices governing charter-school finance during the 1998-99 school year. The 23 states and 2 cities surveyed here had operative charter schools during 1997-98, and thus had a least one year of experience in implementing laws and developing financial practices. The report includes an estimation of…

This report is based, in part, on a conference that examined the implications of virtual schools for public education. It also draws on other studies of online education to highlight issues that policymakers should consider when developing virtual schools. The document presents three major findings: (1) Virtual schools are an important tool for…

In Canada, the Provincial Ministries of Education had mandated that everyone financially support education through property taxes. The rate of support is tied to property ownership, whether or not a family has a child enrolled in the education system, or is being educated through home-schooling, private schooling, or by other allowable means. On…

The alternative school provides a specific institutional discourse, official and unofficial, that shapes the ways in which alternative school students participate in a particular discursive practice. The alternative school plays a crucial role in developing students aspirations by enabling them to envision a better future. Moreover, it helps…

This article examines contract schools and their influence on U.S. education. Schools that are contracted out may be viewed as a privatization development that both parallels and builds upon the charter-school movement. They can be defined as publicly funded schools operated by an independent group of teachers and administrators under a contract…

This document provides an overview of public-school voucher plans. Educational vouchers originated in the 1960s when Milton Friedman argued that vouchers would improve educational efficiency. Parents would receive the equivalent of per-pupil expenditures in the form of vouchers that could then be used at any school, either public and private. But…

This book describes the nature and extent of science learning in America with particular attention to the innumerable sources of science education existing outside the formal education system. Examples are provided from research and practice on how to better understand, facilitate, and communicate about free-choice science learning including…

The focus on schoolwide reform that grew from the failure of traditional Title I programs to raise student achievement overlooks one of the few effective Title I programs, the private remedial education partnership. Since the early 1900s, some public schools have begun relying on private remedial education companies, such as Sylvan Learning…

Alternative schools are defined in this report as schools or programs targeting students who are unsuccessful in the traditional school environment. These schools often see their mission as one of dropout prevention. Certain features are usually associated with alternative schools, including a clear mission, a small enrollment, a more personal…

This publication is the first in a series of reports that examine policy issues in education. It looks at the four major forms of school choice--charter schools, open enrollment, home schooling, and vouchers--and how they are changing the landscape of public education. School choice is one of the fastest-growing innovations in public education,…