Author: Grow Schools, formerly Charter School Capital

Here’s another post from our own Liz Overson, who’s gone the extra mile to interview parents around the country to hear how families are handling this phase of their kids’ learning… And it’s not easy, as she notes, below. (But she has some great tips for parents as a result of her research!) Thank you, Liz, for sharing these suggestions and resources.

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The New (Not) Normal

It’s happening, and it’s hard. Parents and kids are adapting to the new normal of being home every day together, and now homeschooling is rolling out around the country. Not every family or every public charter school district can accommodate online learning from home, but for those that can – it’s introducing a myriad of new challenges.

We’ve spoken with parents from Ohio to California about the homeschooling challenges they’re seeing daily, especially for younger kids who aren’t yet self-starters. And here’s what we have learned:

Suggestions for Homeschooling Parents with Young Kids 

  • It’s an adjustment. Phase in slowly.
  • Beware of being too aggressive with online learning. Every kid is different, and tolerance levels will vary from kid to kid and even day-to-day for each child.
  • Don’t try to recreate the school day. We heard this a lot.
  • Some things won’t work. That’s ok and even normal in homeschooling.
  • Charter Schools are learning as they go on this as well. Think about feedback channels and communication strategies for your teacher(s). They’re your partners in homeschool, too.
  • Reach out to other parents from your kids’ grades and classes. Maybe they’re finding success with areas that you find unnavigable.
  • Ignore social media and what other people are doing. Who knows what else is happening before and after that sweet photo.
  • Making a checklist every morning can be helpful for all. Crossing tasks off is so satisfying, too!
  • Work together with your kids and follow through on the realistic expectations you set. Some type of school-based assignments will happen Monday – Friday.
  • Find other things your kids like to do online and make space for that in the weeks at home. Online art classes, instructional videos, research, and explorations. There’s a world of educational content available for every age and stage.

Life with Quaranteenagers

And while teenagers may be better equipped to self-manage during homeschooling, they may bristle faster and more often being around their adults 24/7. And motivation is an ebb and flow for every teen in the easiest of times.

Here’s what communications might help:

  • Targeted emails and posts about ways to stay on track – like journals, checklists, and even Productivity Apps would be helpful for these bigger kids.
  • Hearing from college/career advisors about testing and all the other planning and prep that usually gets underway in spring.
  • Virtual office hours and ways to make online appointments with teachers, advisors, administrators, and others who can help.
  • Words of support from administrators, coaches, teachers, and more. Keep the communication coming and supportive.

And if parents are worried about their quarantines and the time they’re spending online – the experts at Common Sense Media have tips about TikTok, Fortnite, YouTube, parental controls, and more.

We found solid parenting advice from the pros at Child Mind Institute. The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds is an incredible resource. And the gems at Unicef have excellent ideas to support parenting and caregiving during this pandemic, and they’re quick to remind us it’s the most important job in the world.

Suggestions for Charter School Teachers and Educators as we Partner in Homeschooling

  • It can be hard for parents to figure out where to start
  • Trial and error will happen, what should parents expect with the recommended web sites or assignments.
  • Kids get irritable when on screens for too long. What options for workaround can we provide?
  • Kids miss interacting with their teachers!
  • If there wasn’t time for a practice session before schools closed, can there be some instructional videos for parents? Schoology and others seem to allow for this.
  • Don’t abandon PE now – keep kids moving,
  • Help problem-solve for not regressing
  • Try not to spring ‘days off’ on working parents. If there’s going to be a Friday without assignments or an “Art” day, give as much forewarning as possible.
  • Offer advice for motivating sad or stubborn kids.
  • Your community is everything! Now more than ever.

Flexibility and patience seem to be at the forefront of successful homeschooling. Each day is a reboot and a chance to try again. And for everyone’s health – students and their parents – positive reminders to keep moving (even indoors), find a quiet corner when needed, and keep up the virtual visits and socializing can go a long way. So can reminders about the abundance of ways to foster creative and critical thinking.  

As our weather gets warmer and more beautiful as March turns to April and beyond, it’ll allow for more and more charter school families to get outside together, all while still maintaining a healthy #socialdistance.

Image of Student working at his desk

Comcast, Spectrum, and Cox are both offering 60 days of free internet to students during the Coronavirus closures.

As schools across the country close to minimize the spread of COVID-19, we reached out to charter schools and state charter school associations to learn what the biggest challenges facing students, parents, and schools. The resounding answer has been equity issues with distance learning—lack of technology and technology training and internet connectivity.

An estimated 17% of U.S. students do not have access to computers at home and 18% do not have home access to broadband internet, according to an Associated Press analysis of census data.

Comcast and Spectrum both announced 60 days of free internet – with slightly different offers.

  • Spectrum is offering free Wi-Fi and broadband access up to 100 MBPS to any household with K-12 and/or college students that don’t already have Spectrum. Installation fees are for these households, and anyone wishing to enroll will need to call 1-844-488-8395.
  • Comcast is expanding a service they already offer for low-income families called Internet Essentials. The service will be free for new customers for 60 days and is 25 MBPS. People hoping to sign up for the services can call 1-855-846-8376 for English and 1-855-765-6995 for Spanish.
  • Both providers are also offering free access to their Wi-Fi hotspots across the country.

Cox announced that effective Monday, 3/15/2020, Effective Monday, March 16, they are providing:

  • Limited-time, first two months free of Connect2Compete service, $9.95/month thereafter.
  • Until May 15, 2020, Cox is providing phone and remote desktop support through Cox Complete Care at no charge to provide peace of mind and ease for technology needs.
  • Resources for discounted refurbished equipment through our association with PCs for People.
  • A Learn from Home toolkit for schools, including instructions on how to fast-track eligible students without internet access Download toolkit.
  • Visit www.cox.com/c2c to qualify and learn more.

Additionally, the California Department of Education has a full list of internet offerings and details from all the major carriers.

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We are working on supporting our client schools and are planning a webinar series to help charter school leaders better understand the myths and facts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Join us for our third webinar in the series, COVID-19: Preparing for Attendance and Staffing Issues, Friday, March 27th at 10:00 A.M. PT.

REGISTER HERE

We will post recorded webinar series on-demand here after each is completed and will continue to update about the coronavirus as the situation demands.

Florida Charter Schools2020 Legislative Regular Session Update: A Win for Florida Charter Schools

For the fourth year in a row, Florida’s Regular Legislative Session was forced into overtime, but in the end, Florida charter schools came out with a win-win.

It is said that laws are like sausages – it is best not to see them being made.

And in this case, policy and budget differences between the two chambers forced an extension of Session past the scheduled 60 days. But in the end, the differences were resolved and the Legislature passed a $93.2 billion budget for the 2020/2021 fiscal year along with associated education policy.

Here are a few highlights that impact Florida’s public charter schools.

Teacher Pay

Legislative members went into the start of Session following the Governor’s call to spend nearly $1 billion for teacher salary increases and bonuses. Negotiations between the two chambers continued until the very last scheduled day of Session with the goal of trying to get to where the Governor wanted things to be. Lawmakers finally settled on a total of $500 million and agreed-upon language as to how school districts and charter schools must apply their share of the dollars, directing $400 million to increase minimum pay for all teachers and $100 million to raises for veteran teachers. They couldn’t, however, manage to get a bonus plan passed.

School districts and charter schools must use 80% of their share of the salary allocation to increase minimum base salary for all full-time classroom teachers and certified pre-kindergarten teachers to $47,500 or the maximum amount achievable based on the allocation. School districts and charter schools must use 20% of their share of the allocation to provide salary increases to full-time classroom teachers and certified prekindergarten teachers who did not receive an increase or who received an increase of less than 2% as a result of increasing the minimum base salary.

School Safety

First the first time since the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School that occurred in February of 2018, the Legislature failed to pass major school safety policy. Legislation was introduced at the beginning of Session that would have implemented a number of recommendations from the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission but lawmakers just could not get it across the finish line before Session ended.

However, one school safety-related bill did manage to make it through. Lawmakers approved a measure that would mandate that all public schools implement a mobile panic alert system that would communicate with first responder agencies beginning in the 2020/2021 school year. The legislation also directs the Florida Department of Education to work through the procurement process to identify a single state-wide solution. However, school districts and charter schools would not be forced to use any particular solution recommended by the department if they choose a different vendor or have already installed systems on their own ahead of this policy going into effect.

Funding Florida Charter Schools

Lawmakers agreed to an education budget totaling close to $22.7 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget funds $7,839.58 per student, an increase of $183.62 from current year per-student spending. Also included in the budget is an increase of $40 per student in the Base School Allocation which are the unrestricted dollars available to school districts and charter schools that can be used for general operations.

Lawmakers also approved its annual tax package that includes a measure that would require school districts to share discretionary sales surtax revenues with eligible charter schools. These funds come from voter-approved sales tax referendums and must be shared with charter schools based on their proportionate share of the total school district enrollment. These shared funds must be used for fixed capital expenditures at individual charter schools.

Even with the overhang of the spread of COVID-19, this Legislative Session ended up being very positive for charter schools. Teachers will get a pay raise. Students will be better protected. Schools will get more student and facilities funding. This is truly a win-win-win for Florida charter schools.

Charter School Capital logoSince the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We help schools access, leverage, and sustain the resources charter schools need to thrive, allowing them to focus on what matters most – educating students. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $2 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!

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school resources for COVID-19 coronavirus10 Great School Resources for COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

As promised, we’re going to try to keep you as informed as possible and continue to provide school resources for COVID-19 (coronavirus) preparation and response. These recent articles come from several trusted resources including Education Week, National Association of Independent Schools, UNESCO, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here are 10 great articles with school resources for COVID-19 (coronavirus). Take a look!

  1. Symptoms of Coronavirus

2. Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in Communities 

3. COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response

4. How to Respond to Coronavirus: 6 Steps for Schools

5. 9 Things Educators Need to Know About Coronavirus

6. Coronavirus and Schools

7. 6 Lessons Learned About Remote Learning During the Coronavirus Outbreak

8. Understanding Coronavirus: What Schools Need to Know

9. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Schools

10. Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource

We will continue to keep a pulse on the situation and share information as it becomes available.

Stay tuned to our Events page to attend our upcoming webinars on this topic and find any we’ve recorded here on demand.

Charter School Capital logoSince the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We help schools access, leverage, and sustain the resources charter schools need to thrive, allowing them to focus on what matters most – educating students. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $2 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!

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COVID19 School District CommunicationsCOVID-19: Case Study in Great School District Communications – A Parent’s Perspective

In late February, a Lake Oswego, Oregon school staff member tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. It was very early in the initial days of the outbreak, and the Lake Oswego School District (LOSD) was suddenly thrust into the front lines of crisis communications.

One of our team members has two kids in the district, and in her own words, she describes some essentials for keeping parents and caregivers calm and a good model for handling communications during a crisis.

Regular School District Communications

Messages, Multiple Channels – Liz Overson’s Perspective

As a Lake Oswego parent, I feel the district has done a very good job of keeping the people informed when the first Coronavirus case was found/presumptive and later tested positive. I feel aligned with the updates with each move since.

6:00 pm Friday, February 28 – first robocall came explaining a staffer at Forest Hills elementary has tested positive for the coronavirus and is in isolation in the hospital. Text message and emails also came communicating the same message.

7:00 pm Friday, February 28 – second robocall saying all LOSD schools and campuses were closed for the weekend for deep cleaning. Text message and emails also came communicating the same message.

12:00 pm Saturday, Feb 29 – a press conference with the district Superintendent, Communications Director and County/ Health Authority was held. This press conference timing and link were communicated via text, email and robocall as well.

1:00 pm Sunday, March 1 – a health alert update was posted reiterating the safety measures being taken.

On the LOSD home page there is a Health Alert box now. From there, parents can click through to find a timeline of everything that has been shared and done since 2/28:

As a parent, I appreciate:
• Regular communications of fluid info – LOSD is acting as a resource and all LOSD families have the same info.
• LOSD has links to Clackamas County and Oregon Health Authority – making it easy for me to research more if I so choose.
• LOSD communicated in simple and straightforward language.

We can look at this as a model to prepare for the potential that your school will need a similar plan.

Join us for our upcoming webinar:
COVID-19: Six Essential Guidelines for Contingency & Communications Planning
Friday, March 20th | 10:00 a.m. PT

REGISTER HERE

coronavirus and schoolsCoronavirus and Schools: Making Contingency Preparations

We felt it was important to address the issues around coronavirus and schools and help to provide information to support schools in making plans to prepare for what may come. With the first few cases of community spread coronavirus detected in the U.S., schools across the country should begin taking precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by developing plans for a range of contingencies ensuring the health and safety of school communities.

  • This is an evolving situation and one that has the best scientists in the world are working hard to understand. At this time, the best way of preventing the spread of any virus – whether coronavirus or the seasonal flu that has hit hard this winter – is to practice good hygiene. These steps are crucial to keeping school communities healthy.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water (scrub for twenty seconds), especially before and after eating, using the restroom, or touching common area surfaces such as railings and countertops.
Tip: ensure soap dispensers in campus restrooms are filled every morning before school begins.
  1. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with an alcohol-based sanitizer.
    Tip: ensure there are sanitizer dispensers readily available in school restrooms and hallways and they are filled every morning before school begins.
  2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  3. Limit close contact, such as sharing straws, cups or utensils.
  4. If you need to cough or sneeze, cover it with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash; if you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve (not your hand).
  5. If you are sick or think you are sick, DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL. Explicitly state No homework assignment, quiz, game, or performance is worth risking your health or the health of others. Your teachers and coaches will understand if you are absent.

Since this is a dynamic and evolving situation, schools should begin preparing contingency plans including planning for closure. Closures may be for only a few days for a deep clean or for several weeks as a quarantine.

A school should have contingency plans that include:

1) Short term closure
     a) What will trigger closure
     b) How will this be messaged to various stakeholders

2) Long term closure—2 weeks or longer
      a) What will trigger closure
      b) How will this be messaged to various stakeholders
      c) How will students be educated
      d) How will teachers be paid

3) Deep cleaning/sanitizing school
      a) Who will be asked to do this

4) Long term closure homeschool or virtual school academic/curriculum plan
      a) Does school already have a homeschool or virtual component
      b) Does the District or Authorizer have a homeschool or virtual component
       c) Is there a virtual school that would partner

5) Laptop/tablet checkout

6) Working with Authorizers and Districts to ensure there are funding plans in place regardless of closure

7) Financial plan in case of long-term closure or declining enrollment due to illness or quarantine
     a) What austerity measures can school employ now
     b) How will staff and teachers be paid if a school is closed and funding is cut off
      c) What does the lease say in terms of rent deferral if a school is closed due to no fault of the school

We are working on supporting our client schools and are planning a webinar series to help charter school leaders better understand the myths and facts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Join us for our first webinar in the series, Coronavirus: Exposing the Myths from Facts, this Friday, March 13th at 10:00 am.

REGISTER HERE

Stay tuned for our other two webinars in the series:
  • Six Essential Guidelines for Contingency & Communications Planning for COVID-19 | Friday, March 20th | 10:00 A.M. PT
  • COVID-19: Preparing for Attendance and Staffing Issues | Friday, March 27th | 10:00 A.M. PTay tuned for the upcoming webinars in the series:

We will post recorded webinar series on-demand here after each is completed and will continue to update about the coronavirus as the situation demands.

California Charter School ConferencePreparing for Charter School Community Action

As of this morning, the 2020 California Charter Schools Conference has been cancelled due to safety concerns around COVID-19.

While we’re sad we won’t have the chance to meet with the charter school community in person next week, we all understand and appreciate that everyone’s health and safety is a first priority. (My mom always said, “Your health is the most important thing…”)

Mayo Clinic Distinguished Investigator Addresses COVID-19 for Charter Leaders

With all the COVID-19 news out there right now it’s hard to separate hype from reality. To help school leaders cut through the news and general hype, we’ve invited an expert to speak to the charter community about just that.

Join us Friday, March 13 with the Distinguished Investigator of the Mayo Clinic, Gregory A. Poland, M.D. on the health implications of COVID-19. In this live discussion, Dr. Poland will answer questions of our audience. Click the link below to join the discussion.

Coronavirus: Exposing Myths from Facts

Friday, March 13 | 10 a.m. PDT

In this session, participants will learn:

  • How to move beyond the headlines and better understand what’s real and what’s hype?
  • How to ensure a safe environment for students, staff and your families
  • When is the right time to take what kind of action?
  • And when is “wash your hands” enough?

This is the first in a three-webinar series to help charter school leaders prepare for a proper response to the virus. The next two are on the following two Fridays:

  • COVID-19: Six Essential Guidelines for Contingency & Communications Planning
    • Friday, March 20th | 10:00 A.M. PT
  • COVID-19: Preparing for Attendance and Staffing Issues
    • Friday, March 27th | 10:00 A.M. PT

Additional Charter School Content for Your Consideration

Because we can’t meet at the conference, we’re taking this opportunity to share the content we were going to unveil in Long Beach here:

  • Enrollment Marketing session — we’re offering our Enrollment Marketing 101 webinar on-demand! Additionally, you can download the Digital Marketing for Charter Schools Manual to walk through refining your school’s messaging, setting strategic marketing goals, and achieving them through a variety of digital marketing programs.
  • Bridge to Bond session — in lieu of our scheduled poster session on bridging the financial gap as you work towards your bond, we’ll be sharing the information on Bridge Financing in an April 24 webinar that we’ll be hosting. It’s still a ways out, but you can reserve your spot for that one here.
  • Authorizer ED Summit — we were very excited to host a town-hall style Q&A with Greg Richmond, former President and CEO of NACSA and Corey Loomis, Charter School Director of Riverside County and Vice-Chair of California Charter Authorizing Professionals. While this in-person luncheon can no longer take place, we’re hoping to turn it into a digital session in the coming months. Please stay tuned to our usual channels for more information.

Lastly, we know things feel a little crazy – know that we’re here to support the charter school community – and you. As always, your feedback is what keeps us going… please let us know how we might better continue to serve this wonderful charter school community.

Charter School Capital logoSince the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We help schools access, leverage, and sustain the resources charter schools need to thrive, allowing them to focus on what matters most – educating students. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $2 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!

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California Charter Schools Conference27th Annual California Charter Schools Conference

As one of this year’s proud sponsors, we are eager to celebrate to honor charter school success at the 27th annual California Charter Schools Conference in Long Beach, CA at the Long Beach Convention Center.

we love charter schools socks

Be sure to stop by booth #1012 to say hello and grab your free pair of our exclusive 2020 #WeLoveCharterSchools socks, while supplies last!

As always, we look forward to meeting, learning from, and connecting with charter leaders who come from all over The Golden State to help forward the charter school movement.

If you’re attending, we sincerely hope you’ll take a minute to swing by our booth and say hello and let us know how we can support your school and students!
Additionally, we will be hosting a session that you won’t want to miss:

Enrollment Marketing 101: How to Attract and Engage Prospective Students
Wednesday, March 18th | 8:30a.m. – 9:30a.m.

Extra Credit: Use the hashtag #WeLoveCharterSchools hashtag onsite, and we’ll share your special conference moments on our social channels!

Find more information on our session and get other conference details here: https://charterschoolp.wpengine.com/event/ccsa2020/

Charter School Capital logoSince the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We help schools access, leverage, and sustain the resources charter schools need to thrive, allowing them to focus on what matters most – educating students. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $2 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!

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UPDATE: Due to the cancellation of the in-person National Charter School Conference, the 2020 Charter School Honor Roll has been cancelled. Submissions are not closed, but those already received in 2020 will be reviewed in the 2021 Charter School Honor Roll nomination pool, and the winning group will be expanded to 50 to accommodate both years. Thank you for understanding and stay well.

charter school honor rollThe 2020 Charter School Honor Roll is Now Open for Submissions

We’re celebrating incredible charter schools!

Charter School Capital is 100% dedicated to the success of charter schools. So, to celebrate the amazing things that charter schools are accomplishing, we created the Charter School Honor Roll. Currently, in its third year, the 2020 Charter School Honor Roll is a celebration of charter schools that exemplify exceptional accomplishments in any of the following categories:

  • School Climate: Our “School Climate” category is defined by the quality and character of school life, based on patterns of students’, parents’ and school personnel’s experience. Honor Roll winners in this category should have created a sustainable, positive school climate.
  • Community Service: Honor Roll winners in this category define what it means to give back to the community’s they’re in, through servant leadership, community building programs, and “multiplying the good” in everything around them.
  • School Growth: Through careful planning, an engaging curriculum, and leadership that works, these next schools showcase what is possible in charter school growth. By expanding the reach of charter schools, these schools are expanding the educational options for students in their communities.
  • School Leadership: This category highlights the leaders that drive the mission and vision of some of the nation’s most incredible schools forward. The unrelenting decision-making, the strategic moves, and the unique challenges of the charter school industry are tough, but these leaders exemplify what it means to be a leader within their school.
  • Student Achievement: This is typically the most competitive category in the Charter School Honor Roll because there are a lot of schools nurturing growth in some truly amazing students. Winning submissions for this category have incredible school ratings, graduation rates, and college admission numbers. Some have statewide and national awards for educational excellence; and all have teachers, administrators, and students that are knocking it out of the park and showing the nation that charter schools are an incredible and important choice for families.

Our Charter School Honor Roll winners will be awarded a special gift package, free admission to the 2020 National Charter Schools Conference in Orlando, Florida (June 21-24), and will be honored at an exclusive honoree awards event during the conference.

Do you have a school in mind? We want to hear about them …. and yes, it’s ok to nominate your own! We’re looking forward to reading your inspiring submission(s)! In conjunction with your Charter School Honor Roll submission, please email photos of your staff and students to growcharters@charterschoolcapital.com (include your social media handles so we can tag you) and we’ll feature your school on our social media channels!

Read more about the categories and submit your school stories here:

NOMINATE A SCHOOL

charter management organization

Editor’s Note: This article about the RAND Corporation’s new school district and CMO surveys was written by Linda Jacobson. It was originally published here by Education Dive on January 10, 2020.

We think it’s vital to keep tabs on the pulse of all things related to charter schools, including informational resources, and how to support school choice, charter school growth, and the advancement of the charter school movement as a whole. We hope you find this—and any other article we curate—both interesting and valuable.

RAND Corp project to survey districts, charter groups

Dive Brief:

  • Building on its American Educator Panels, which have provided a glimpse into teachers’ and school leaders’ thoughts on issues such as school discipline and instructional methods, the RAND Corporation is launching a new set of surveys for school districts and charter management organizations.
  • With $4.8 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the research organization will work with the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the University of Washington, Chiefs for Change and Kitamba, a consulting firm, to develop and administer the American School District Panel over a three-year period. According to a press release, the project will be “the first nationally representative, longitudinal panel of school districts” in the U.S.
  • The surveys will collect feedback from districts and CMOs on issues such as procurement, professional development and services for students with disabilities. RAND is also forming an advisory board made up of district and CMO leaders to guide the project.

Dive Insight:

Results from the surveys will provide another source of comparison between traditional districts and CMOs on current educational issues and trends. While the researchers won’t survey individual charter schools, they will collect data from CMOs.

One early topic is expected to be how districts and CMOs “identify, select and implement curricula as well as the supports they provide for school-level curriculum implementation,” said Laura Hamilton, who directs RAND’s Center for Social and Emotional Learning Research and co-directs the AEP program.

An initial study will be released this fall, and the first round of results from the survey is expected next winter or spring. In a separate press release, CRPE said the goal of the project is “to understand how districts help school leaders innovate and solve problems, and to learn what barriers they face.” Qualitative studies will also dig into how politics and implementation issues affect efforts to improve districts.

In addition to releasing the reports, the research team will hold “State of the District” events to discuss findings. “School systems have a critical role to play in making sure students, especially the most vulnerable, get the educational opportunities they so urgently need,” said Robin Lake, the director of CRPE.

Charter School Capital logoSince the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We help schools access, leverage, and sustain the resources charter schools need to thrive, allowing them to focus on what matters most – educating students. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $2 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!

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