Charter Districts: The State of the Field MS Word PDF - This update of a 2003 StateNote describes the latest developments and trends in charter districts throughout the country. Charter districts, in which all or most of the schools are charter or contract schools, are part of broader efforts to improve public schools. Rather than operating schools themselves, these districts enter into charters or contracts with individuals and entities to run schools. The challenges to states and districts is to find a supply of high-quality charter operators and strike the delicate balance between autonomy and accountability. (Bryan Hassel and Todd Ziebarth, Education Commission of the States, March 2005)...

3/30/2004--Buffalo Charter Initiative Seen as a Leading Example of Innovation MS Word...

Charter Districts: The State of the Field MS Word PDF - In more and more places across the country, states and districts are significantly altering how they govern public education. An interesting recent development is charter districts – also referred to as all-charter districts – in which all or most of the schools are charter or contract schools. Rather than operating schools themselves, these districts enter into charters or contracts with individuals and entities to run schools - which may be newly created charter schools or existing schools that convert to charter status. Through the charters or contracts, the district extends autonomy and resources to schools, and at the same time holds them accountable for student achievement. This policy brief examines the various ways in which states and districts are creating charter districts. (Elizabeth Valsing, Bryan Hassel, Victoria Maslow and Todd Ziebarth, Education Commission of the States, October 2003, 2003)...