Charter Schools: A Growing and Diverse National Reform Movement
(Testimony, 01/19/95, GAO/T-HEHS-95-52).

Charter schools are a rapidly growing education reform, offering a new
model for public schools. These schools are intended to address a
variety of concerns about the public educational system, including
unresponsive bureaucracies, restrictive rules, limited choices among
types of schools, and a lack of accountability for student performance.
As the number of charter schools has grown, so has their diversity.
These schools vary considerably in their autonomy, their instructional
programs reflect diversity and innovation, and they vary in how they
plan and measure student performance. Because of this diversity, these
schools pose new challenges for federal program administration. These
challenges stem from the lack of connection of some charter schools to
local school districts. Meanwhile, states are uncertain about how to
treat charter schools in regard to federal programs and federal
requirements such as those for special education.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-HEHS-95-52
     TITLE:  Charter Schools: A Growing and Diverse National Reform 
             Movement
      DATE:  01/19/95
   SUBJECT:  State programs
             Educational programs
             Public schools
             Aid for education
             Education program evaluation
             Accountability
             State/local relations
IDENTIFIER:  Arizona
             California
             Colorado
             Hawaii
             Massachusetts
             Michigan
             Minnesota
             New Mexico
             Wisconsin
             Georgia
             Kansas
             
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