In response to increasing regional and national demands for information about Charter Schools, we have developed this special issue of Policy Briefs. The term "Charter School" currently describes an assortment of school organizations. It has become evident that there are many differing opinions and strong feelings about Charter Schools. This Policy Briefs attempts to clarify the definition of Charter Schools and to explore their place in school restructuring and reform efforts by describing existing Charter Schools in Minnesota and California, examining legislative and contract guidelines, and discussing future possibilities of Charter Schools.
During the writing of this report, state legislation about Charter Schools was changing rapidly. A number of states were considering or passing Charter School legislation. Aware of these ongoing changes, NCREL made every attempt to make the contents of this Policy Briefs as accurate and up to date as possible. ThisPolicy Briefs is not intended to be an exhaustive report or an evaluation of the charter concept. We will leave those tasks for future writers to undertake as Charter Schools mature.
The author is R. Craig Sautter of the School of New Learning, De Paul University, who conducted interviews and research. Genevieve Sedlack of NCREL provided extensive copy editing and additional research. External reviewers checked the text for accuracy and clarity, and NCREL thanks them for their time and effort.
Posted on March 6, 1995
URL: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/go/93-2NOTE.HTM