[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 386 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 386


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 1, 2002

        Received and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  Supporting a National Charter Schools Week, and for other purposes.

Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a designated public 
        body and operating on the principles of accountability, parental 
        involvement, choice, and autonomy;
Whereas in exchange for the flexibility and autonomy given to charter schools, 
        they are held accountable by their


sponsors for improving student achievement and for their financial and 
other operations;

Whereas 37 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
        have passed laws authorizing charter schools;
Whereas 37 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
        will have received substantial assistance from the Federal Government by 
        the end of the current fiscal year for planning, startup, and 
        implementation of charter schools since their authorization in 1994 
        under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
        et seq.);
Whereas 34 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 
        are serving over 580,000 students in more than 2,431 charter schools 
        during the 2001-2002 school year;
Whereas charter schools can be vehicles for improving student achievement for 
        students who attend them, for stimulating change and improvement in all 
        public schools, and for benefiting all public school students;
Whereas charter schools must meet the same Federal student achievement 
        accountability requirements as all public schools, and often set higher 
        and additional goals, to ensure that they are of high quality and truly 
        accountable to the public;
Whereas charter schools assess and evaluate students annually and often even 
        more frequently, and charter school student achievement is directly 
        linked to charter school existence;
Whereas charter schools give parents new freedom to choose their public school, 
        charter schools routinely measure parental approval, and charter schools 
        must prove their ongoing and increasing success to parents, 
        policymakers, and their communities;
Whereas two-thirds of charter schools report having a waiting list, the average 
        size of such a waiting list is nearly one-half of the school's 
        enrollment, and the total number of students on all such waiting lists 
        is enough to fill another 1,000 average-sized charter schools;
Whereas students in charter schools nationwide have similar demographic 
        characteristics as students in all public schools;
Whereas charter schools in many States serve significant numbers of students 
        from families with lower income, minority students, and students with 
        disabilities, and in a majority of charter schools, almost half the 
        students are considered at risk or are former dropouts;
Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the 
        Administration, the Congress, State Governors and legislatures, 
        educators, and parents across the Nation; and
Whereas charter schools are laboratories of reform and serve as models of how to 
        educate children as effectively as possible: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That--
            (1) the Congress honors the 10th anniversary of the opening 
        of the Nation's first charter school;
            (2) the Congress acknowledges and commends the charter 
        school movement and charter schools, teachers, parents, and 
        students across the Nation for their ongoing contributions to 
        education and improving and strengthening the Nation's public 
        school system;
            (3) the Congress supports the goals of National Charter 
        Schools Week, an event sponsored by charter schools and charter 
        school organizations across the Nation and established to 
        recognize the significant impacts, achievements, and 
        innovations of the Nation's charter schools; and
            (4) it is the sense of the Congress that the President 
        should issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United 
        States to conduct appropriate programs, ceremonies, and 
        activities to demonstrate support for charter schools in 
        communities throughout the Nation.

            Passed the House of Representatives April 30, 2002.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.