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Rhode
Island Charter Schools Fact Sheet
- Charter Public Schools are independent
PUBLIC schools of choice,
freed from traditional bureaucratic red tape, but
accountable for results with the expectation that
they will provide successful innovative alternatives
to traditional public schools;
- Charter Public Schools provide
an alternative public education to students who desire
a different learning environment than what traditional
public schools provide. They give parents and students
a choice of options, consistent with the intent of
No Child Left Behind;
- Charter Public Schools are designed
to deliver programs tailored to educational excellence
and community needs;
- Charter Public Schools provide
a more personalized form of public education where
the learning environment is student centered and parents
and community are true partners in the governance
and operation of the schools;
- Charter Public Schools are required
to participate in all state mandated assessments as
well as the SALT (School Accountability for Teaching
and Learning) process; are subject to all financial
reporting requirements which include RIDE revenue/expenditure
reports (In $ite) and reports to both the Auditor
General and the Department of Administration;
- Because they are public schools
of choice, they are held to the highest level of accountability….CONSUMER
DEMAND;
- There is a growing, unmet demand
for Charter Public Schools as demonstrated by the
waiting list (over 1000 in RI) of students seeking
enrollment in our charter public schools;
- Charter Public Schools are demonstrating
success in serving students from disadvantaged backgrounds
particularly in our urban communities;
- Relevant indicators such as
average attendance, graduation rates, and parent participation
and satisfaction are higher in Charter Public Schools
as compared to traditional public schools;
- Charter Public Schools should
be viewed as modeling options as well as partners
in education;
- Charter Public Schools should
not be isolated or blamed for straining budgets, or
used as “scapegoats” for school funding
woes but embraced as part of the community.
Charter
Schools Differ From Traditional Public Schools
- ACCOUNTABILITY:
Charter Public Schools are held accountable for how
well they educate children in a safe and responsible
environment, not for compliance with district and
state regulations. They are judged by how well they
attain the student achievement goals established by
their charter. If they fail to deliver, they are closed;
- CHOICE:
Charter Public Schools provide an option for those
interested in creating a better educational opportunity
for their children. Students choose to attend and
teachers choose teach at charter schools;
- AUTONOMY:
Charter Public Schools are freed from the traditional
bureaucracy and regulations that divert a school’s
energy and resources toward compliance rather than
excellence. The focus is on setting and reaching high
academic standards.
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