Vol. 4, No. 50
December 10, 2002

* CHARTERS: The Department of Education just released the 2000-2001 evaluation of the Public Charter Schools Program prepared by SRI International, the research firm. The conclusions are familiar: charters serve diverse populations and many serve those students who have not been properly served in the traditional setting, and charters tend to be smaller than district schools. Also among the report's conclusions: parents play a key role in their child's attendance at a charter school, and resources can be limited. The report also takes a look at the role of authorizers and the fact that local boards (in states where they are the only chartering authority) charter fewer schools than other entities such as universities and state boards of education. This report reinforces CER's own survey findings released in October. For CER's survey, click here.

        For an updated look at the number of charter schools operating as of December 2002, keep an eye out for CER's National Charter School Directory, which will be released next month. For the SRI report, go to: http://www.sri.com/policy/cep/choice/yr2.pdf

Ohio: The charter school expansion bill was passed by the Senate last week. New revisions provide new opportunities for nonprofit organizations to sponsor charter schools, and increase the number of districts where new-starts can be created. For more information on the new legislation, contact Clint Satow at the Ohio Community School Center at cfsatow@aol.com.

Michigan: A bill to increase the cap for university-sponsored charter schools died last week after supporters of the bill could not muster enough votes to pass it out of the House. It is highly unlikely that the bill will be voted on again, especially since Senate leaders have vowed to finish their business before December 13th.

Illinois: A labor bill that included a provision to raise the charter school cap in Chicago stalled in the Senate last week, causing angst among both the teachers union and charter advocates in Chicago. The failed piece of legislation, which would have restored the rights of teachers to bargain over such issues as schedules, student assessments and class size, was blocked by Senate President James Philip. Interestingly, the bill was backed by charter advocates in Chicago, who were willing to make a trade-off with the union in attempts to increase the cap within the city. In the process of doing so, they alienated other state leaders who didn't see the benefit in the deal.

North Carolina: Members of the State Board of Education are divided on whether to close two charter schools that have posted low test-scores for the past three years. The contracts for both schools are up in June, and members are divided on whether the students are being properly served. Those who want to keep the schools open know that the school is working with a decidedly disadvantaged student body, and realize that it will take up to 5 years for the scores to reflect achievement. One board member who wants to convert the charter schools into alternative schools, noted "we wouldn't think of holding an alternative school to the same standards as traditional schools." Another board member who is in favor of keeping the schools open said, "We are holding the charters to a higher standard than public schools. There is no doubt about it. What is right for the children is to keep both schools open."

* TESTING: The book is now closed on Maryland's now obsolete MSPAP test. Recent results tell a troubling story. According to the Baltimore Sun, the number of third-graders scoring at the "Satisfactory" level fell from 36.5 percent in 2001 to a dismal 30.7. In math "Satisfactory" levels tumbled from 37.8 percent to 28.7 percent. Worth noting is that not once in ten years has any Maryland system met the goal of 70 percent of the student population reaching "Satisfactory" levels on MSPAP. The blame game is in full force with some pointing the finger at "out-of-state scorers" (e.g. teachers who score the test). Others say that teachers and students put little effort into taking or preparing for the test in its final outing. The results also show that the poorest students continue to be underserved. While some area superintendents vowed to use these results to identify problems for children, others seem to be looking for ways to parlay these outcomes to dumb down future outings on Maryland's new (and yet unnamed) test. Already there has been discussion on lowering the bar for passing on the new high school exit exams, and others recommend two diplomas for those students who can't pass the test after numerous attempts. This is not promising news if administrators are already looking for ways to negate the purpose of the new test. The new leadership may change that outlook.

* POLITICS: Lawmakers in California recently released the "California Master Plan For Education," and in the process introduced several pieces of legislation that call for the complete overhaul of the California Department of Education. One bill in particular is sure to stir the waters in a state where the education system is already muddled with controversy. Under SB 6, newly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O'Connell, will no longer manage CA's public schools. Neither will the State Board of Education. Governor Gray Davis' appointed Secretary of Education, Kerry Mazzoni would now step into that management role, drastically reducing the roles of both the state chief of education and the state board. In a state where both entities have enjoyed the unprecedented ability to make important policy decisions, the proposed shift in power is causing pain. The new plan may cause even more legal issues than originally anticipated, since the State Board of Education is considered the SEA in California, making it the sole authority over the implementation of NCLB.

* EVENTS: This week CER will participate in two educational forums convening in Washington, D.C: the American Legislative Exchange Council and National Conference of State Legislatures. Both bodies serve state legislators, for which education is a hot button issue. For more information about the groups and their agendas, go to http://www.alec.org/ and http://www.ncsl.org/standcomm/fall02.htm.

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