United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1995-01-18 monographic deposited born digital 53 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-95-42 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-42 P0b002ee180396762 f:he95042 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-42 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-42 HEHS-95-42 Public schools State-administered programs Educational programs Aid for education Education program evaluation Accountability State/local relations Students Arizona California Colorado Georgia Hawaii Kansas Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota New Mexico Wisconsin Letter Report HEHS

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. GAO summarized this report in testimony before Congress; see: Charter Schools: New Models for Public Schools Provides Opportunities and Challenges, by Linda G. Morra, Director of Education and Employment Issues, before the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Senate Committee on Appropriations. GAO/T-HEHS-95-52, Jan. 19, 1995 (five pages). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-42/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-42.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-42/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-42.pdf GAO/HEHS-95-42 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-42 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-95-42; Charter Schools: New Model for Public Schools Provides Opportunities and Challenges; Public schools State-administered programs Educational programs Aid for education Education program evaluation Accountability State/local relations Students Arizona California Colorado Georgia Hawaii Kansas Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota New Mexico Wisconsin Title 20 Section 2891(12) 20 U.S.C. 2891(12) Public Law 103-382