Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

This qualitative case study examines academic performance effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness) of a charter school based on the perceptions of the administrator and teachers. This study explores what they perceived to be effective/ineffective, the reasons for this effectiveness/ineffectiveness, and the solutions to any identified challenges/problems at their charter school as they relate to students' academic performance. The participants in the study were from one charter school in a charter school system in North Central Texas. The study utilized surveys and interviews as sources of data that revealed administrator and teacher perception of what they considered to be the strengths and weaknesses of the school, factors accounting for the strengths and weaknesses, and possible solutions to the weaknesses of their charter school as related to students' academic performance. Five perceived strengths were identified to be instruction, curriculum, personnel, mission statement, and parent involvement. Likewise, three perceived weaknesses were identified to be instruction, curriculum, and parent involvement. Recommendations of the study for practitioners included recruitment and employment of preservice teachers from colleges and universities, partnering with alternative certification programs, creating a program of professional development, creating professional learning communities, creating a parent committee, and partnering with local agencies and community businesses. Implications for future research included similar analysis of schools within the same charter school system, analysis of a charter school within another charter school district and replicating this study with the addition of parents.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of La Verne, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 152-160).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of La Verne, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 152-160).

Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-170).

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1999. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2962. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as preliminary leaves i-iii. Includes bibliographical references 101-103.

As an alternative model of public education, charter schools were characterized as innovative, non-sectarian schools with fewer bureaucratic regulations than traditional schools, more freedom to implement educational reform, and accountable for results. The purpose of this policy research was to investigate charter school granting criteria, monitoring procedures, and renewal processes in states with operational charter schools to determine the extent to which renewal relates to established criteria. A secondary purpose was to synthesize and assimilate renewal research to assist in the development of an evaluative schema applicable to Florida's charter schools. This study investigated charter school renewal and non-renewal criteria found in legislation from 33 states with operational charter schools in the fall of 2000. Current practices used by sponsors in states without specific criteria in legislation and current practices used by sponsoring school districts in Florida were investigated. Legislation from 33 states was analyzed with attention to renewal and non-renewal criteria, the agency responsible for renewal, and the duration of charter and renewal terms. Personal communication with charter contacts verified renewal information. Content analysis was used to review non-renewal criteria in legislation. A literature review of charter school legislation, program evaluation, litigation related to charter schools, and an historical overview of charter schools was included. Data revealed no consistent criteria for charter renewal in practice throughout the nation. The majority of states identified the sponsoring agency as the renewal authority. Renewal criteria were directed toward a process or procedure rather than measurable standards. Renewal decisions were closely linked to the initial terms and conditions of the charter. Non-renewal criteria focused on standards requiring documentation or measurement. Commonalties were found between non-renewal criteria and criteria for revocation. Sponsors used on-going monitoring of the school's performance and operations to support renewal decisions. An evaluative schema could be developed for Florida districts to support statutory requirements for renewal if warranted. Recommendations for further study included: examination of experiences from states with a renewal protocol, analysis of reasons why schools were non-renewed, follow-up studies to review changes in states' guidelines, sponsor procedures, and program reviews in Florida districts.

Thesis advisor: Joseph M. O'Keefe / This mixed methods sequential explanatory study applied the economic theory of the educational marketplace to examine district superintendents' perceptions of charter school competition and its impact on the administrative and instructional innovations launched in their districts. The initial intent of the 1993 legislation on charter schools in the Commonwealth stated specifically that charter schools would serve as an impetus for the development and dissemination of innovation in the districts in which they were allowed to reside. The study examined whether superintendents reported reform activities consistent with the language in the Massachusetts Education Reform Act, which was intended to spur innovation in charter schools and traditional districts. This dissertation asked superintendents about administrative and instructional innovations that have taken place as a result of increased competition from the educational marketplace. Though competition from school choice and vocational schools were referenced, the study focused on the impact of charter schools. The findings indicate that the innovations initiated by district superintendents are targeting student populations that are perceived to be most likely to attend local charter schools; namely those students considered by superintendents to be high academic achievers. In response, most superintendents reported innovative marketing strategies rather than programs focused on teaching and learning. Superintendents rarely mentioned programs designed to assist students from low-income families, English language learners, or students with special needs. Finally, superintendents reported minimal meaningful collaboration between districts and charter schools, except in three isolated and unique circumstances. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / Previous research conducted in regular public and private schools has shown that parent involvement in a child's schooling is positively related to student outcomes (Henderson and Mapp, 2002). Though the creation of charter schools has purportedly expanded the possibilities for families to participate in their children's schooling, little is known about actual practices of parent involvement in charter schools. This case study explores the nature of parent involvement in a sixth- through twelfth- grade, urban charter school in order to verify and extend findings from research conducted in other school settings. The data come from surveys of and group interviews with faculty members, families, and students; observations of parent involvement events; and individual interviews with the school's founders. Two prevalent themes emerged from this study. The first reveals a sharp contrast between the founders' philosophical orientations with respect to home-school relationships and those of the families, students, and faculty members. The founders believe that the school and home are, and should be, distinct and separate institutions of support for student achievement and adolescent development. The second theme uncovered in this study concerns the faculty's citations of "cultural difference" as a key justification for why involvement at the school has proven challenging. The study shows that these perspectives shape the school's practices of partnership with families and that the philosophical and ideological positions taken by school personnel are best understood against a broader socio-historical context. The problems with parent involvement exhibited in this study are viewed as both a product of the underlying philosophical assumptions about school and family partnerships held by the founders, as well as a continuation of historically grounded patterns of home and school interaction as articulated by the faculty. The case study of this charter school verifies previous research and extends our understandings of home-school partnership into the new context ofthe charter school. / 2031-01-01

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