Charter Schools No Longer an Experiment.

A new national study shows that more school districts than ever are approving charter schools. According to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers' (NACSA) The State of Charter School Authorizing 2010: Third Annual Report on NACSA's Authorizer Survey, released, the number of school districts authorizing charter schools has increased by 37 percent over the past three years. In the 2010 school year, 857 of the 955 charter school authorizing entities in the nation were school districts.

NACSA President and CEO Greg Richmond comments, "Throughout their existence, charter schools have been perceived by many as experiments. Instead, this research shows that more and more school districts accept charter schools as an established part of our public education system." He continues, "Charter schools have solidified their role as quality options for the education of more than 1.6 million children in the nation."

In the past year, for example, school districts from Charlotte County, Fla. to Des Moines, Iowa to Beaverton, Ore. have approved their first charter schools. In Charlotte County, the school district approved a proposal to operate a collegiate high school on the campus of Edison State College. Graduates of the Edison Charter High School receive both a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree. In Iowa, the Des Moines Charter School has a longer school day, runs year-round, and uses the Internet in place of textbooks. In Beaverton, the school district approved its first charter school, the Arco Iris Charter School, to provide a Spanish immersion curriculum.

Since 2008, NACSA has identified 233 school districts that have authorized their first charter school, an average of approximately 78 new school district authorizers per year. During the same period, the total of all other types of authorizers, including state education agencies, independent charter boards and universities, increased from 88 to 98. Though the majority of these school districts are new to authorizing, some of these additions may be due to improved identification and tracking methods at the state level. NACSA expects the trend of increasing numbers of district authorizers to continue as more states seek to reform their charter laws and as local elected officials turn to charter schools as a means to improve public education.

While this finding shows significant potential for the expansion of charter schools, it highlights many of the challenges faced by new district authorizers. NACSA's research indicates that in their relationships with charter schools, school districts act like school districts, for better and for worse. Districts are more likely to provide charter schools with facilities support (56 percent) than any other authorizer type. However, these entities are also more likely to intervene inappropriately in the operation of a charter school, eroding school autonomy and undermining closure efforts. To address these trends, NACSA recommends that district authorizers devote additional resources towards the implementation of authorizing best practices.

TheState of Charter School Authorizing 2010 report serves as a snapshot of charter school authorizing, providing a detailed analysis of authorizing entities' use of NACSA's Principles & Standards for Quality Charter School Authorizing. This resource strengthens quality among charter schools by identifying best practices for authorizers, the agencies that approve, oversee and monitor charter schools on behalf of the public interest.

Jim Peyser, NACSA Board of Directors' chair, adds, "NACSA's experience within the charter sector shows that quality authorizing leads to quality charter schools. This research underscores the importance of authorizing best practices in achieving the goal of providing an open education system of quality school choice." Peyser, former chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Education, is a managing partner with the NewSchools Venture Fund.

TheState of Charter School Authorizing 2010: Third Annual Report on NACSA's Authorizer Survey and its appendices are available for download at http://www.qualitycharters.org/publications-resources/annual-authorizer-survey.

NACSA will host a special webinar detailing the findings of TheState of Charter School Authorizing 2010 report, January 27, 2011 at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. ET. During this event, Alex Medler, Ph.D., NACSA vice president of policy and research, and Sean Conlan, Ph.D., NACSA director of research and evaluation, will discuss key findings from the report, and offer analysis and insights drawn from the survey analysis. Visit https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/959266406 to register for this event.

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is the trusted resource and innovative leader working with public officials and education leaders to increase the number of high-quality charter schools in cities and states across the nation. NACSA provides training, consulting, and policy guidance to authorizers and education leaders interested in increasing the number of high-quality schools and improving student outcomes.

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Keywords: Board Of Education, Curriculum, Education Agencies, Government Agencies, National Association of Charter School Authorizers, State Education, The State's Education.

This article was prepared by Education Letter editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Education Letter via VerticalNews.com.