What Is a Charter School?

Charter school students learn more. Charter schools are accountable. Charter schools are free, independently-run public schools open to all New York City students. Charter school students consistently perform better than traditional public school students on standardized math and language arts erams. In fact, recent studies have shown that charter schools are making great strides in Charter schools are run as nonprofit organizations by boards made up of educators, community members, and parents. These boards meet publicly. control the school's funds and staff, and are responsible for making sure the school reaches the goals set out in its charter. If a school does not measure up dosing the achievement gap betwoen high-income and low-income students. at the end of its five-yaar term, its charter to operatewill not be renowed. 77% NYC charter school renewals 1999-2008 Language arts proficient NYC charter schools 13 Nan-renowals Five-year renewals 69% Language arts proficient 13 NYC public schools Short-term renewals Charter schools are public schools. Charter school students are diverse. People often think that charter schools draw only elite, high-achieving Many people confuse charter schoolswith private schools or school vouchers, but 91% students. In reality, charter schools help give traditionally underserved 99 Math charter schools are free public schools Charter schools are in demand. students an opportunity to excel. Charter school students come fromawide variety of academic, athnic, and economic backgrounds, including a higher percantage of African American and Latino students than NYC's traditional NYC charter schools proficient Charter schools in NYC apen to all NYC students. Charter schools get their name from the five-year terms or "charters" underwhich they operate, Since the city's first charter school was established in 1999, more have 82% Math proficient opaned each year. Yot charter school lotteries still receve far more student public schools, and about the same percentage of low-income students. 30,400 applications than there are seats available. authorized by either the Now York City or Now York State Department of Education or the State University of New York (SUNYI. Charter school students in NYC NYC public schools 94% 2009 NYC charter school lottery African American I// 8,500 & Latino students NYC charter schools Charter schools empower teachers. Seats available Charter schools try out new ideas. 71% Because charter schools are freed from Charter schoolswere created to give students and parents an alternative to African American centralized curriculum constraints, 1,500 ///// 44,000 & Latino students NYC public schools teachers have increased opportunity to innovate, using creative instructional and dassroom management strategies. In addition, charter schools offer teachers traditional public schools. Each charter school is formed around a unique Teachers choose to work oducational vision, with many founded by public school principals or teachers Applications receved in NYC charter schools whowant the freedom to enact non-traditional teaching models. Each school's vision and goals are described in its charter, as are the standards that will be used to ovaluatew hether the school is a success. 70% $45k-125k competitive salaries and benefits, Salary range for NYC charter school teachers Free or reduced as well as professional dovelopment price lunch With this vision in mind, each charter school designs its own policies and curriculum, and manages its own staffand resources. This autonomy lets charter schools try aut innovative methods, which may include: NYC charter schools opportunities. * 71% Free or reduced price lunch 10 Charter schools do more with less. Charter schools encourage change. • rigorous academic standards or college prep curriculum • longer school days or schoolyear • school uniforms • integrated arts education • dosp facus on math and literacy • parental partnerships • selective teacher recruitment and NYC public schools Although charter schools make up only a small piece of the public school Charter schools in NYC recaive less sy stem, they are critical to inspiring wide-scale change in how we think about public education. operating funding per student than traditional public schools, aven accounting for the in-kind services they receive. performance-based rewards Charter schools serve special needs. Charter schools add options and create diversity in the public school landscape. Some schools supplement their resources Thay cxplore innovative teaching and managament strategies, challenging As public schools, all NYC charter schools are required to offer support for through private grants and fundraising, but athers simply make dowith less. 69 NYC charter schools share building space with public schools traditional ideas about how students learn best. The success seen by charter special education students and English language learners. In addition, soveral of these schools are specifically dedicated to serving special needs including: school students helps raise academicstandards across the city and state, setting the bar higher for whatwe expect from our schools. And strategies Additionally, charter schools receive no funding to construct or maintain school • aschool for students with Autism show n to be effective in charter schools can also be applied in public school classrooms, becoming "best practices" for public education. 86% Rigorous academic standards or college prep focus • aschool for students in foster care or the child welfare system • aschool for students who have previously dropped out • soveral schools that practice dual-language teaching as an integrated part of their mission 92% 93% buildings. Many schools have been allowed to share spacewith traditional public schools, but these arrangements Extended school day or school year School uniforms or specialized are unsustainable; available space is shrinking across the city, and many charters outgrow thair original buildings as they add grades over time. Additionally, the high lavel of accountability faced by charter schools can serve asa model for public schoals, encouraging teachers and administrators dress code to provide the best possible oducation for thair students. 2010 (projected) 130 chartar schools 2006 2007 2008 1999 First NYC charter 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2009 10 charter schools 15 charter schools 17 charter schools 22 charter schools 31 charter schaols 46 charter schools 58 charter schools 60 charter schools 78 charter schools 99 charter schools school opens