Charter Schools in North Carolina An overview

What is a Charter School? Charter School: A charter school is a tuition-free public school created on the basis of a license or “charter” made with the State Board of Education or an institute of higher learning. A charter school has more freedom than a traditional public school in return for a commitment to meet state standards of accountability. As you can see by the slide, a charter school is created by an agreement or charter between the school and the authorizer. It does not charge tuition and it has freedom from some rules and regs in return for accountability. We’ll discuss what items should be covered in your charter in just a few minutes.

How is a Charter School funded? Public tax dollars are the primary funding sources for charter schools. Local, state, and federal dollars fund charter schools in the same way traditional public schools are funded. The schools have open enrollment with no discrimination, no religious associations, and no tuition.

National Charter School Definition Charter schools are nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" establishing each such school is a performance [license] detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. (US Charter Schools - website) Remember, most of the state statutes in s. 115- 121 do not apply to charter schools.

Benefits of Charter Schools: According to the US Charter Schools website The intention of most charter school legislation is to: Increase opportunities for learning and access to quality education for all students Create choice for parents and students within the public school system Provide a system of accountability for results in public education Encourage innovative teaching practices Create new professional opportunities for teachers Encourage community and parent involvement in public education Leverage improved public education broadly From: http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/o/index.htm

NC Charter School Law § 115C‑238.29A. Purpose. The purpose of this Part is to authorize a system of charter schools to provide opportunities for teachers, parents, pupils, and community members to establish and maintain schools that operate independently of existing schools, as a method to accomplish all of the following: (1) Improve student learning; (2) Increase learning opportunities for all students, with special emphasis on expanded learning experiences for students who are identified as at risk of academic failure or academically gifted; (3) Encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods;

Charter School Law Continued (4) Create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunities to be responsible for the learning program at the school site; (5) Provide parents and students with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system; and (6) Hold the schools established under this Part accountable for meeting measurable student achievement results, and provide the schools with a method to change from rule‑based to performance‑based accountability systems. (1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 731, s. 2.) For additional information see: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/charterschools/policy/legislation

How long can each charter school operate? The initial charter is granted for up to 10 years with a 5 year review. At the end of each 10 year period, including a 5 year review, charter schools must go through a renewal process, which may grant yet another 10 year term.

How Are Charter Schools Operated? Each school is operated by a Board of Directors. They set the policies and procedures for their school. Of course, no school could operate without the support of the families and the school community!

What are the qualifications for charter school teachers? All charter school core subject teachers must be highly qualified as outlined by Federal No Child Left Behind requirements. North Carolina state statute requires 75% of charter school teachers in elementary school to be licensed while 50% in middle and high school must be licensed.

Do all charter schools use the same curriculum? The Board of Directors for each charter school chooses the school’s curriculum which is approved by the State Board of Education. Charter schools are not required to follow the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS), however, students are assessed using the same tests as other schools which correlate to the NCSCOS.

Do charter schools take the state mandated ABCs tests? Yes. All charter schools are required to take the state mandated tests. For charter schools test results please visit http://abcs.ncpublicschools.org/abcs.

How much does it cost to attend a Charter School? Charter Schools are tuition free. They are public schools and funding for the schools come from federal, state, and local taxes. Schools must have obtained non-profit status from the state of North Carolina prior to opening.

What are the requirements for acceptance into a charter school? The only requirement for enrollment into a charter school is the availability at the school in the requested grade.

How do I enroll my child in a charter school? Charter schools have open enrollment but may have a cap on the number of students served. If the school has more applicants than available slots, an open lottery must be instituted to fill the remaining spots. Parents must contact each individual school to see if they have openings, and obtain an application. For a list of schools, please visit http://www.ncpublicschools.org/charterschools/schools/.

Can my child attend a charter school outside our district? There is no districting for charter schools; students from any North Carolina county may attend any charter school providing there is space available for the student in the school.

Charter Schools by County 2007-2008 School Year Number of Schools Alamance 3 Avery 2 Beaufort 1 Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Carteret Chatham Columbus Cherokee 1 Cumberland Durham 8 Forsyth 5 Franklin Gaston 2 Guilford 3 Henderson Iredell Jackson Johnston Lee Lenoir

Charter Schools by County 2007-2008 School Year Lincoln 1 Mecklenburg 10 Moore 2 Nash New Hanover Northampton Orange Pamlico Person Robeson Rockingham Rutherford 1 Scotland Stanly Surry Swain Transylvania Union

Charter Schools by County 2007-2008 School Year Vance 1 Wake 13 Warren Watuaga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Total: 98

Charter Schools in North Carolina There is currently a cap of 100 charter schools in North Carolina serving over 27,000 students.

Who do I contact? Mr. Jack Moyer, Director 919.807.3491 jmoyer@dpi.state.nc.us Dr. Jackie Womble Jenkins Consultant 919.807.3493 jjenkins@dpi.state.nc.us Carl F. Pridgen, Consultant 919.807.3494 cpridgen@dpi.state.nc.us Vacant (1/08), Consultant 919.807.3492 jmedley@dpi.state.nc.us Jean Kruft, Consultant 919.807.3367 jkruft@dpi.state.nc.us Dorothy Heath, Consultant 919.807.3263 dheath@dpi.state.nc.us Janice Ham Administrative Assistant 919.807.3491 jham@dpi.state.nc.us

Photo Credits Slide 1: The Evergreen School Slide 2: Hope Elementary Slide 3: The Academy of Moore County Slide 4: Cape Fear Center for Inquiry Slide 5: Brevard Academy Slide 6: Franklin Academy Slide 7: Magellan Charter Slide 8: East Wake Academy Slide 9: Carolina International Slide 10: Healthy Start Academy Slide 11: SPARC Academy Slide 12: Alpha Academy Slide 13: Sugar Creek Slide 14: American Renaissance Middle Slide 15: Sallie B. Howard Slide 16: Maureen Joy Slide 18: Exploris Middle School Slide 19: Children’s Community Slide 20: American Renaissance Charter Slide 21: Raleigh Charter High School Slide 22: Tiller School Slide 23: Millennium