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Report Cover, Table of Contents and List of Tables and Figures (192 KB PDF)
Chapter 1 Introduction (34 KB PDF)
1.1 What Are Charter Schools?
1.2 Evaluation Questions
1.3 Review of Past and Future Research on Charter Schools in Pennsylvania
1.4 Structure of the Report
Chapter 2 Methods (52 KB PDF)
2.1 Approach and Strategies for Data Collection
2.2 Specific Methods for Data Collection
2.3 Data Analyses and Reporting
2.4 Limitations to the Evaluation
2.5 Challenges Confronting the Evaluation
Chapter 3 Description and Background of the Reform in Pennsylvania (319 KB PDF)
3.1 An Overview of Pennsylvania's Charter School Law
3.2 Changes in Charter School Law and Regulations
3.3 Growth Trends
3.4 Charter School Location
3.5 Role of Education Management Organizations and Nonprofit Community-Based Organizations
3.6 Cyber Schools
3.7 Conclusion
Chapter 4 Charter School Start-Up: Resources and Challenges (72 KB PDF)
4.1 Legal and Administrative Context
4.2 The Charter Appeals Board
4.3 Founders' Goals
4.4 Founders' Organizational Resources
4.5 Types of Individuals Involved in Charter Founding Coalitions
4.6 Political Constraints and Opportunities
4.7 Characteristics of Chartering Districts
4.8 Summary
Chapter 5 Charter School Finance (58 KB PDF)
5.1 Revenue Sources
5.2 Special Education Funding
5.3 Expenditure Patterns
5.4 Fiscal Viability
5.5 Summary and Conclusions
Chapter 6 Student and Family Characteristics (101 KB PDF)
6.1 Sampling of Students and Parents
6.2 Description of Charter School Students and Families
6.3 Reasons for Choosing Charter Schools, Responses from Sampled Students and Parents
6.4 Awareness of School Mission
6.5 Summary
Chapter 7 Teacher and Staff Characteristics (49 KB PDF)
7.1 Description of Charter School Teachers and Staff
7.2 Educational Background and Years of Experience of Pennsylvania Charter School Teachers and Staff
7.3 Reasons to Seek Employment at a Charter School
7.4 School Mission
7.5 Summary
Chapter 8 Working Conditions, Professional Development and Levels of Satisfaction for Charter School Teachers (56 KB PDF)
8.1 Working Conditions for Teachers and Staff and Levels of Satisfaction
8.2 Initial Expectations and Current Experiences of Teachers and Staff
8.3 Professional Development in Pennsylvania Charter Schools
8.4 Teacher Induction Plans
8.5 Turnover of Teachers and Staff in Pennsylvania Charter Schools
8.6 Summary
Chapter 9 Innovation (64 KB PDF)
9.1 Conceptualization and Methods
9.2 Mission and Target Population
9.3 School Organization
9.4 Curriculum and Instruction
9.5 Technology and Computers
9.6 Cyber Schools
9.7 Impacts of Charter Schools on Local Districts
9.8 Discussion and Conclusions
Chapter 10 Equity and Access (89 KB PDF)
10.1 Racial and Ethnic Composition of the Charter Schools
10.2 Eligibility for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch
10.3 Enrollment of Students with Disabilities
10.4 Satisfaction of Parents of Children with Special Needs
10.5 Why Students Leave Charter Schools
10.6 Summary and Conclusions
Chapter 11 Accountability (119 KB PDF)
11.1 Accountability Plan for Pennsylvania Charter Schools
11.2 Mission-Driven Schools
11.3 Demonstrating Success: Goals and Objectives Based on Mission Statement
11.4 Findings from the Auditor General
11.5 Roles and Responsibilities of PDE
11.6 Roles and Responsibilities of Districts that Grant Charters
11.7 Conclusion and Summary
Chapter 12 Student Achievement (63 KB PDF)
12.1 Assessing Charter School Effectiveness
12.2 Key Findings
12.3 Summary and Conclusions
Chapter 13 Alternative Indicators of Charter School Quality (73 KB PDF)
13.1 Waiting Lists
13.2 Perceived Achievement Gains
13.3 Satisfaction with Accomplishment of School Missions
13.4 Satisfaction with Curriculum and Instruction
13.5 Satisfaction with Resources
13.6 The Relationship Between Customer Satisfaction and Academic Performance
13.7 Summary
Chapter 14 Key Findings and Policy Issues (68 KB PDF)
14.1 Student Achievement
14.2 Choice and Innovation
14.3 Equity and Access
14.4 Professional Opportunities for Teachers
14.5 Accountability and Oversight
14.6 Impacts on Other Public Schools
14.7 Future Evaluation Activities
14.8 Conclusion
References (18 KB PDF)
Appendices
Appendix A Teacher/Staff Survey Results (148 KB PDF)
Appendix B Student Survey Results (58 KB PDF)
Appendix C Parent Survey Results (181 KB PDF)
Appendix D Demographic and Background Characteristics of Charter School Students Compared with Host District Students (11 KB PDF)
Appendix E Demographic and Background Characteristics of Charter School Teachers (14 KB PDF)
Appendix F Methodological Details on the Analysis of Student Achievement Results (205 KB PDF)
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Some of the publications are in Adobe Acrobat PDF version 4. To view them,
you will need to download and install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software. |