FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From:
Center for Education Reform [mailto:CER@lb.bcentral.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 3:32 PM
To: List Member
Subject: Education Reform Newswire - Special Edition
The latest developments from the Center for Education Reform
http://www.edreform.com
CER NEWSWIRE
Vol. 4, No. 44
October 29, 2002
___________________________________________
SPECIAL NOTICE: "Charter Schools 2002: Results from CER's Annual Survey
of America's Charter Schools" is Now Available!
Results from the Center for Education Reform's "Annual Survey of
America's Charter Schools," released today tell us that not only are
the
nation's charter schools successfully educating children under-served
by
traditional public schools, but they are providing more instructional
time, innovative curricula, and doing it cost-effectively.
Among the findings from the survey of 481 charter school respondents:
*43 percent of charter schools offer additional instructional time,
including an extended school day, extended school year, or a
combination
of the two.
*Charter schools provide a wide range of curricular options - from
"back
to basics" to "Expeditionary Learning" - responding to the specific
needs of each school's distinct population.
*The average per-pupil cost of survey respondents is $4,507,
significantly less than the $7,000 average in traditional schools, and
charters are forced to use that money to underwrite facilities costs
not
included in traditional public schools' operating budgets.
*Despite having large numbers of academically challenged students,
charter schools reported a range of achievements, including gains in
reading and math performances; test scores higher than district, state
or comparable school scores; increased parental involvement; higher
attendance and fewer discipline problems.
*Parental demand for the services charter schools offer has increased:
More than 69 percent of charters have a waiting list and the average
waiting list for a charter school has skyrocketed to 68 percent of the
average school's enrollment.
Other conclusions from the survey indicate that 98 percent of charter
schools administer at least one standardized test, including state
tests
in those states that have them; that charters serve students who are
largely underserved; including at-risk and low-income students; and
that
areas with multiple chartering authorities are more likely to have
charter schools.
The Center surveyed more than 2,357 charters operating as of September
2001 in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Responses were
received
from 481 schools, indicating a response rate of more than 20 percent.
*******
See "Charter Schools 2002: Results from CER's Annual Survey of
America's
Charter Schools" on-line at
http://www.edreform.com/charter_schools/survey2002.pdf. For more
information, contact the Center at (202) 822-9000.
------------
The CER Newswire may be redistributed in its entirety with proper
attribution. If you have been forwarded this message from a friend and
would like to subscribe to receive future Newswires, you can join at
http://www.edreform.com/newswire.htm.
The CER Newswire is published by The Center for Education Reform, the
nation's leading authority on school reform. CER is dedicated to making
schools better for America's children by improving educational access
and excellence for all. CER works with parents, teachers and
policymakers to advance meaningful education improvement initiatives.
For more information on CER and education reform, visit our website at
http://www.edreform.com.
...
For More Information Contact:
Baconton Community Charter School
260 East Walton St. Baconton GA 31716
Tel: 229-787-9999
FAX: 229-787-0077
Internet:
jsaponaro@hotmail.com