| Q. |
What are Arizona Charter Schools? |
| A. |
Charter schools in Arizona are public,
state-funded schools. Charter schools were created
through legislation in 1994. Charter schools contract
with the State Board of Education, the State Board
for Charter Schools or a district to provide an
education service. Charter schools cannot charge
tuition. |
| Q. |
What is the purpose of charter schools? |
| A. |
Charter schools
are established to provide a learning environment
that will improve pupil achievement. Charter schools
are created to provide additional academic choices
for parents and students. |
| Q. |
How does a charter school get a charter? |
| A. |
There are three
ways to obtain a contract to operate a charter school
in Arizona, by applying to: 1) The State Board for
Charter Schools, 2) The State Board of Education,
and 3) the school district within whose boundaries
the charter school will be physically located. |
| Q. |
What is the School’s Mission? |
| A. |
Every charter
school has its own individual mission or vision.
This vision should be present in every aspect of
the school and those involved in the school should
share this vision. As a parent of a student in a
charter school, you and your child should share
this vision. To learn about the school’s mission,
consider: |
- Visiting with the school’s founders
- Attending a board meeting
- Reading the school’s charter
- Attending class (preferably the class in which your
child would be)
- Attending a school assembly
| Q. |
What is the organizational
structure of charter schools? |
| A. |
Charter schools are
organized and operated in a variety of ways. Each
charter school has a governing board. Each charter
school also has a sponsoring entity such as the
State Board of Education, the State Board for
Charter Schools or a school district. Each charter
school must comply with everything in its charter
contract with the state as well as with all applicable
state, federal and local laws and regulations.
Some charter schools are organized as non-profit
corporations, for-profit corporations and still
others have different structures. To learn more
about the structure of a charter school, consider:
|
- Asking to see bylaws and articles of incorporation
- Obtaining a description of board members and their
respective backgrounds
- Reviewing the school’s charter
- Attending a board meeting
| Q. |
Who makes decisions
at charter schools? |
| A. |
School
decisions are made at the school level. The sponsoring
boards have very little to do with daily charter
school operations. Each charter school develops
its own policies related to discipline, personnel,
attendance, etc. To learn about the policies of
a charter school, consider asking to see policies
and procedure manuals that may include: |
- Personnel and board operations
- Parent groups/committees
- Student discipline and attendance
- Student performance/grading
| Q. |
What is the School’s
Teaching Philosophy? |
| A. |
Each
charter school subscribes to a certain teaching
philosophy or a combination of philosophies. It
is important that your child flourish in this specific
educational setting. To learn more about the school’s
teaching philosophy, consider: |
- Viewing lesson plans for a complete school week
- Reading the curriculum portion of the charter
- Visiting with classroom teachers
- Reviewing the school’s marketing materials
- Observing a parent/teacher meeting
- Determining if the curriculum is consistent with
the mission
| Q. |
How will the school
implement its program of instruction? |
| A. |
Charter
schools utilize unique and innovative ideas and
methods to meet their educational goals. To learn
if these methods are best suited to your child,
consider: |
- What specific teaching techniques and strategies
are used?
- What materials does the school have to implement
its educational goals?
- What classroom materials do teachers have to implement
educational goals?
- How are the classrooms organized?
- Is the average class size conducive to the teaching
methods described?
- What are the qualifications of the teaching staff?
- What kind of professional development opportunities
are available to teaching staff?
| Q. |
Does the School Meet
Its Prescribed Goals? |
| A. |
Charter
schools participate in the state’s nationally
standardized norm-referenced achievement test
and AIMS. Each charter school also completes an
annual report card for the Department of Education
and an annual report for its sponsoring board.
The annual report cards are available on the Arizona
Department of Education’s web site. Charter
schools also design a method to measure pupil
progress toward student outcomes.
As a parent, you may want
to explore whether these measurements meet your
child’s current and future needs. For instance,
if your child is considering attending a college/university
that requires graded transcripts, you may want
to investigate charter schools that provide graded
transcripts.
Some other things to consider
are: |
- What kinds of assessments are used?
- Are the assessment tools consistent with the mission
of the school?
- Are the goals clear and can progress toward the
goals be measured?
- Does the teaching staff have experience using this
type of assessment?
- What do student report cards contain and what is
their frequency?
- How is student progress communicated to parents?
| Q. |
What is the role of parents in charter schools? |
| A. |
As
a parent, you are making a conscious choice to consider
participating in the education marketplace. Most
charter schools provide opportunities for parental
involvement ranging from volunteering in the classroom
to serving on a site council. To learn more about
the potential role of parents in a specific charter
school, consider: |
- Looking at the school’s charter
- Attending parent meetings
- Observing classrooms with parent volunteers
- Talking with parents of students who may attend
charter schools?
Any Arizona student in grade K-12
may attend a charter school. Parents and students may
submit a timely application to any charter school for
consideration.
| Q. |
Do charter schools have to enroll any and all
students? |
| A. |
Charter
schools must serve all students, including those
with special needs. They may cap class size if approved
by their sponsor. If the number of applicants exceeds
the spaces available they must provide an equitable
system such as a lottery for enrolling students.
To learn about admission to a specific charter school,
you may want to consider: |
- Viewing the school’s admissions policies and
procedures
- Obtaining a description of how the school meets
the needs of all students, including handicapped and
other special needs students
- Reviewing the marketing materials used to recruit
students
- Viewing the waiting list (if one exists)
- Reviewing the charter
| Q. |
How can a parent find
out about the qualifications and certifications
of the teachers and other instructional staff at
a charter school? |
| A. |
By
law, charter schools are required to keep a book
of resumes of all present and former instructional
staff members. This book must be made available
to parents upon request. Resumes shall include an
individual's educational and teaching background
and experience in a particular academic content
subject area. |
| Q. |
Q. How are charter
schools funded and is it a stable source of funding? |
| A. |
Charter
schools are funded by the state and receive money
based on student attendance. A specific charter
school’s funding is as stable as the school’s
enrollment. Charter schools may also solicit and
receive contributions. To determine the funding
situation of a charter school consider: |
- Asking about daily enrollment figures
- Viewing budgets included in the charter
- Reviewing an audited financial statement (if an
external audit has occurred)
- Getting a description of donations
- Viewing the most recent quarterly financial statement
Parents and Students
In An Education Marketplace
Charter schools are part of the education marketplace
in Arizona. Charter schools provide parents and students
with many educational choices. An important part of making
a choice in a marketplace is gathering information. This
brochure is designed to guide you in your quest for information
as you consider your education options.
What is the length of
a charter school contract?
The term of charter school contracts is fifteen years.
Charters are reviewed by the sponsoring board every five
years and monitored regularly.
What if I have a question,
concern or complaint?
Charter schools are independent public schools and most
operational decisions are made on-site. If you have an
issue with a charter school, try to resolve the issue
at the school site or with the operator of the school.
If this action does not result in a resolution, find out
when the governing board of the school meets and bring
your concern before the board for consideration.
It is generally helpful to view the charter during the
complaint process to determine if the school is acting
outside of the parameters of its charter. You may also
decide during this process that this particular charter
school is not the best fit for your child’s needs.
If this process does not result in resolution, put your
concern in writing and submit it to the sponsoring board,
either the State Board of Education, the State Board for
Charter Schools, or the local district governing board.
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| The 10th National Charter Schools
Conference.. click here |
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