Canadian Charter Public Schools Student Performance Accountability Guidebook

Charter schools are among the most debated and least understood phenomena in American education today. At the heart of these matters is a contested question of accountability. To survive, charter schools must make and keep promises about what students will experience and learn under their purview. However, unlike public schools, charter schools do not rely exclusively on their relationship with school districts. They must also look to parents, teachers, and donors to cooperatively establish expectations of a particular school and its mission. Aimed toward elected officials, school reform activists, and educators, this book is the result of the first national-scale study of charter school accountability. The authors researched one hundred-fifty schools and sixty authorizing agencies in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Michigan. These states contain the majority of charter schools that have been operating for three years or more and represent the major differences in state charter school legislation. The authors include interviews from a range of participants in the field©¡from state legislators and administrators to principals, teachers, and parents. In assessing the structure of accountability as it works internally to bolster external confidence, Hill and Lake suggest the struggle of charter schools actually complements those of standards based reform. Both seek to transform public education to make schools responsible for performance, not compliance.

The Wiley Handbook of School Choice presents a comprehensive collection of original essays addressing the wide range of alternatives to traditional public schools available in contemporary US society. A comprehensive collection of the latest research findings on school choices in the US, including charter schools, magnet schools, school vouchers, home schooling, private schools, and virtual schools Viewpoints of both advocates and opponents of each school choice provide balanced examinations and opinions Perspectives drawn from both established researchers and practicing professionals in the U.S. and abroad and from across the educational spectrum gives a holistic outlook Includes thorough coverage of the history of traditional education in the US, its current state, and predictions for the future of each alternative school choice

Written by a mix of established and rising stars in school politics, policy, law, finance, and reform this comprehensive Handbook provides a three part framework that helps organize this relatively new and loosely organized field of study. A central theme running through the book is how to harness politics to school equity and improvement. Key features include: Thematic Discussions – detailed discussions of key topics in educational politics are organized by themes and competing perspectives. The overarching themes are 1) the goals of the U.S. political system (justice, equity, opportunity, efficiency and choice); 2) the means and resources for reaching these goals; and 3) the political behaviors and compromises that seek to mitigate ideological differences and conflicts of interest. Research Oriented – in addition to summarizing the latest research connected to key topics, each chapter exemplifies and reports on the methods and techniques for further exploration of these topics. Reform Oriented – throughout the book and especially in the summarizing chapter, authors provide suggestions for improving the political behaviors of key educational groups and individuals: unions, superintendents, politicians, school boards, teachers, and parents.

No previous book has pulled together into one place a single, comprehensive volume that provides up-to-date coverage of state government and politics, along with the states’ current and future public policies. This new book does just that, offering students, scholars, citizens, policy advocates, and state specialists accessible information on state politics and policy in 34 topical chapters written by experts in the field. The guide provides contemporary analysis of state institutions, processes, and public policies, along with both historical and theoretical perspectives that help readers develop a comprehensive understanding of the 50 U.S. states’ complex and changing political spheres. Those who use this volume—from experienced scholars to neophytes—can rely upon the guide to provide: Basic factual information on state politics and policy Core explanatory frameworks and competing arguments Insightful coverage of major policy areas as they have played out in the states.