-Caveat Lector- Spring/Summer 1999 Charter Schools: Still a Work in Progress by Elena Cabral ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Charter schools emerged in the early 1990's as a bold experiment in school reform. Established by communities through a sponsoring, or charter, agency, these independent schools are designed to operate with public funds but without the bureaucratic constraints of public school systems. They promise more choices for families, greater efficiency and innovation through competition. But a Foundation-supported study of 17 charter schools in California suggests that many of the promises have not yet been met. The two-and-a-half-year project by the University of California at Los Angeles was one of the first intensive studies on charter schools, which now number about 1,100 nationwide. California was the second state to pass legislation supporting these schools. The grant supporting the study was part of the Foundation's Constituency-Building for Public School Reform Initiative, a program of the Education, Knowledge and Religion unit. "Some of the claims and assumptions that are driving the way people conceptualize charter school reform need to be rethought," says Amy Stuart Wells, an associate professor of educational policy at UCLA and the director of the study. Though the study acknowledges the benefits of giving educators greater freedom in general, it notes several troubling aspects. Among the 15 findings is that many schools have no formal way to know if they are better than traditional public schools at helping students learn. One reason is that it is difficult to measure performance in schools that vary widely in theme, approach and design. Some focus on a "back to basics" approach, while others use broader themes. A mitigating factor is that California has been struggling in recent years to carry out an assessment of all its schools. The study points out that some of the aims of charter schools do not conform to traditional tests. Though charter schools are designed to give families more choices in education, the study says that the admissions criteria, recruiting tactics and even special duties some schools require of students and parents - like mandatory volunteerism - allow them to engineer the composition of their classes. Some schools are not delivering on their promise to reflect the racial or ethnic profile of their districts, and there are few opportunities to share information with public schools, for which charter schools claim to be models. The study also found that charter schools rely heavily on private resources, and that the ability to raise money varies greatly. But teachers in charter schools gave very positive reports about their work. They said that they felt more useful in their schools, which invigorate and challenge them in ways that conventional school settings do not. "I like starting out with something and feeling like I'm helping to build it," a teacher said. Support for charter schools remains strong nationwide, but Wells says the report should serve as a call to re-examine some of the ideas behind them. The report sparked a mixed response among educators when it was released in December. Some dismissed it by saying it overlooked individual successes. Others said it served as a warning to future charter schools. "I don't think anybody, especially operators of charter schools, has ever looked at ourselves or even the charter school movement as a silver bullet that's going to fundamentally, on its own, change school systems," says Mark Silverberg, a coordinator of the Hoboken (N.J.) Charter School. "Charter schools are one small piece of a whole set of reform and renewal efforts. To look at a movement in its infancy and say it hasn't changed the system is a sort of narrow perspective." But Wells says: "This report isn't designed to end charter schools. It is designed to take stock and force the issues out on the table that have not yet been discussed." To obtain a copy of the report, send a mailing address to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or call (310) 825-9903. It is also available on line at www.gseis/ucla.edu/docs/charter.pdf. Elena Cabral http://www.fordfound.org/ Bard Visit me at: The Center for Exposing Corruption in the Federal Government http://www.xld.com/public/center/center.htm Federal Government defined: ....a benefit/subsidy protection racket! DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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