Meeting the Equity Challenge in Public Charter Schools

Comments or queries may be directed to Joyce Harris, Director, Equity Center, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL), 101 S.W. Main Street, Suite 500, Portland, Oregon 97204. Ms. Harris may be reached directly by phone at (503) 275-9604, or you may use our toll-free number, (800) 547-6339.

Appreciation is extended to Brett Lane and Mark Buechler of NWREL for reviewing this publication. Lane is the author of the policy report Choice Matters: Policy Alternatives and Implications for Charter Schools (NWREL, 1998), and the manual Charter Schools Leadership Training Academy Workbook (NWREL, 1998). Buechler is the author of Charter Schools: Legislation and Results After Four Years (Indian Education Policy Center, 1996).

We also wish to thank Equity Center staff Joyce Harris and LaVonne Griffin-Valade for reviewing the publication.

About the Equity Center

The Equity Center is one of 10 regional equity assistance centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education to provide equity training and technical assistance within the larger context of school improvement. The center serves public school personnel, school board members, students, parents, and other community members in Region X—the Northwest (Idaho, Oregon, and Washington), Alaska, and the Pacific, including American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

Discrimination Prohibited

No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, or be so treated on the basis of sex under most education programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance.

Preface

Intended to improve educational outcomes for children, charter schools have demonstrated the capacity to positively affect student achievement, attendance, and attitudes. There are some who also believe they may act as a force to enhance educational opportunity. Many public charter schools serve lower-income students and students who have not experienced success in traditional public schools. Some are focused on meeting the needs of particular racial or cultural groups. As the number of public charter schools continues to increase, it is crucial that those involved at all levels—whether they are founders, teachers, or parents—focus on equity as they develop, implement, and participate in charter school programs.

Meeting the Equity Challenge in Public Charter Schools is designed to increase awareness of the equity issues embedded in operating a charter school as well as to assist charter school staff in ensuring equitable, high-quality education for all students. The guide discusses seven specific equity challenges facing charter schools, examines key equity issues facing all schools and strategies to address them, provides a summary of relevant equity legislation, and includes a selection of basic resources.

Upon request, the Equity Center provides equity training and technical assistance free of charge to K-12 public schools, including K-12 public charter schools. This work is performed under an equity assistance center grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Meeting the Equity Challenge in Public Charter Schools is part of a series of publications produced by the Equity Center. Other titles that may be of interest include:

• Closing the Equity Gap in Technology Access and Use: A Practical Guide for K-12 Educators
• The Fourth R: Responsibility—Ensuring Educational Excellence Through Equitable and Effective School Practices
• Preventing and Countering School-based Harassment: A Resource Guide for K-12 Educators (available in Spanish)
• Improving Education for Immigrant Students: A Guide for K-12 Educators in the Northwest and Alaska
• Familias: Apoyo de Equidad y Que Necesitan Saber del Acoso and Estudiantes: Apoyo de Equidad y Que Necesitan Saber del Acoso (audiotapes in Spanish on what families and students need to know to support equity in schools and to counter harassment)

One complimentary copy of each publication is available to school districts within the Center's service area.

Those outside the service area can purchase copies through NWREL's Document Reproduction Service, (503) 275-9519, or e-mail products@nwrel.org.