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National Education Panel Issues 'Framework for Academic Quality' for Public Charter Schools

Posted on: Tuesday, 24 June 2008, 02:30 CDT

WASHINGTON, June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Consensus Panel on Charter School Academic Quality today released its inaugural report recommending four essential indicators of academic quality in public charter schools - student achievement level, student progress over time, post-secondary readiness and success, and student engagement.

The report, "A Framework for Academic Quality," is designed to be a practical resource guiding improvement in public charter schools across the country - and applicable to all schools regardless of their specific mission or student body. It is the first publication in a series of initiatives of the three-year Building Charter School Quality project funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

For each of the four indicators, the framework includes specific measures, metrics, targets and benchmark comparisons. The framework is intended to help school operators strengthen assessment of their education programs and demonstrate academic performance to external parties such as their authorizing agencies and the public. For authorizers, as well as foundations and lenders supporting schools, the framework will provide a common set of indicators, measures, metrics and benchmarks to evaluate their schools. Additionally, it will help reveal strengths and areas for improvement where statewide charter school associations and other support organizations can target attention.

"It's important to establish greater coherence in the discussion of what we mean by 'quality,'" said National Alliance for Public Charter Schools CEO Nelson Smith. "It's a problem not just for charters, but for all public schools. However, because reliance on snapshot data leads to ill-informed judgments about charter schools, we are taking a major first step to establish a wider range of common criteria for evaluating performance." Smith added: "These initial measures should be seen as a floor, not a ceiling. We encourage charter operators and those who hold them accountable to find additional robust measures for the mission and accomplishments of individual schools."

"The consensus that the panel arrived at is an important milestone, but only the initial action of this effort," said Greg Richmond, President and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. "The framework is necessarily broad so that it can be relevant to each and every one of the 4,300 public charter schools today serving 1.3 million students in 40 states and the District of Columbia. I firmly expect that over the next three years while the panel continues to build upon this framework, everyone from school operators to federal policymakers will find it extremely useful in assessing academic progress."

The project's National Consensus Panel is composed of more than two dozen education reform professionals and foundation executives playing leading roles in the charter school movement nationally, assisted by convening partners from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, CREDO at Stanford University, and the Colorado League of Charter Schools.

A second phase of the project, now underway, is seeking consensus on indicators of operational quality in areas such as finance and governance. A report on these indicators will be issued later this year.

In conjunction with the 8th Annual National Charter Schools Conference this week in New Orleans, Louisiana, the report was released at a special panel, "Performance Indicators for Charter Schools" featuring NACSA President and CEO Richmond and NAPCS CEO Smith (1:45 p.m., Room 207, New Orleans Convention Center).

The report is available on-line at http://www.publiccharters.org/ and at http://www.qualitycharters.org/ .

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (http://www.publiccharters.org/) is the national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. The Alliance works to increase the number of high-performing charter schools available to all families, particularly low-income and minority families who currently do not have access to quality public schools. The Alliance provides assistance to state charter school associations and resource centers, develops and advocates for improved public policies, and serves as the united voice for this large and diverse movement.

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (http://www.qualitycharters.org/) is a professional membership organization dedicated to achieving quality charter schools through high standards and clear accountability. NACSA members are the school districts, state education departments, universities and other agencies that approve and monitor charter schools.

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

CONTACT: Bill Schulz of NAPCS, +1-202-521-2828, +1-240-678-9398 cell,pressroom@publiccharters.org; or Nicole Culverson of NACSA, +1-312-376-2323

Web Site: http://www.publiccharters.org/http://www.qualitycharters.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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