Two coinciding trends in education have given rise to this study: the political cycle of school reform and the heterogeneous nature of the charter school landscape. Since Minnesota became the first state to pass a charter law in 1991, the dramatic increase in the number of charter schools has provided opportunities for researchers to try to categorize the success of charter schools. Although the number of charter schools have almost doubled from 3,689 to 6,004 from 2005-2006 to 2012-2013, an average of approximately 500 charters have opened and more than 160 charter schools have closed per year during these eight years of the available data. However, students who attend charter schools do not have a monolithic educational experience. The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of students and parents in relation to enrolling in a specific brick and mortar and several cyber charter schools, and if applicable, leaving said schools. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of students and parents who reside in a rural public school district and chose to attend a cyber charter or brick and mortar charter school. Survey responses and information gathered from interviews of students and their parents/guardians were analyzed to illuminate the research questions. While the results will not be generalizable, this study has led to an understanding of what led these students to enroll in charter schools and if applicable, why they chose to leave. More specifically, three themes emerged from the data: (1) Family members, primarily mothers, significantly impacted students’ decisions to employ choice to enroll in charters; (2) The lack of extra-curricular activities in charters had a substantially negative impact on students’ experiences and (3) Educational quality was the foremost characteristic named in the determination to transfer out of a charter school. While there has been research on charter schools separate from studies on perceptions of school age children with respect to education programming, this examination indicates the need to unite charter research and student voice aspects within the realm of educational research. / Educational Administration

In order to understand withdrawal rates in online K-12 schools, it is vital to have detailed documentation of these rates and to describe characteristics of the students who withdraw compared to the students who remain enrolled. Once these characteristics are known schools can develop programs and/or policies that support students who are at risk of withdrawing. This study was a descriptive analysis of (a) attendance, (b) lessons completed, (c) participation, (d) teacher-student communication, and (e) overall performance percentage comparing the means between the enrolled student population and the withdrawn student population using extant data. Four of the five variables, (a) attendance, (b) lessons completed, (c) teacher-student communication, and (d) overall performance percentage, were significant at the p < .01 level. Upon analysis, the results of average lessons per day were not reportable due to problems with the data. The Enrolled group had significantly higher means in the following variables: (a) attendance, (b) lessons completed, (c) teacher-student synchronous contact, and (d) overall performance percentage.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--UCLA, 2009. / Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-96).

The University of Texas Elementary School (UTES) is a charter school operated by The University of Texas at Austin that practices innovative research-based teaching methods. The school is in need of a system to track the educational achievements of its alumni and compare them to peers to determine the effects of attending UTES. This report provides an overview of existing studies on school effects and research design methods, offers advice and insight from other charter school administrators who have alumni-tracking experience, recommends data to collect, and outlines a plan of action including the necessary steps to gather such information. / text

Conn., Yale Univ., Diss.--New Haven, 2004. / Kopie, ersch. im Verl. UMI, Ann Arbor, Mich. - Enth. 3 Beitr.

abstract: This dissertation focuses on entrepreneurial and business performance indicators as determinants of Arizona charter schools' quality. The study utilizes a mixed-method inquiry with focus on qualitative research, exploration, and implementation studies. It draws data from surveys with charter operators performed by Education Team Partners (ETP). All survey results are drawn from the ETP database. The study reviews the genesis and evolution of charter schools. It reviews the social agreement within the context of public policy analysis, and the public-private partnership nature within the context of entrepreneurship and business management. It attempts to develop a research-based foundation for future action research to complement the newly introduced performance management plan (PMP) measurement and evaluation system in Arizona. The research includes four group indicators for measuring charter schools' business productivity and performance. They are studied in relation to three groups of indicators for measuring charter schools' quality. The case studies include two existing and two future charter schools. Study results indicate that all participating charter operators confirm the significance of the liquidity ratio in relation to any aspect of charter school quality covered in this study. The participants indicated a strong relationship between the capacities of their schools to utilize external resources and all indicators of charter school quality. This study draws two important conclusions. First, charter schools are business organizations, despite the fact that they receive public funds. Operationally, they differ substantially from district schools and government agencies and depend on market forces. Second, charter schools cannot survive inefficient management practices, as market forces tend to drive them out of business, regardless of academic success and student achievement levels. The intended implications from this study include: first, increased awareness about the importance of understanding business indicators in relation to charter school quality; second, the need for more research associated with the business and finance components of charter schools. As the body of collective knowledge about charter schools expands, the relationship between various business indicators to measures of quality should be routinely studied within larger populations, which may allow for an improved measurement system and applications of advanced statistical methods. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Public Administration 2011

The purpose of this study was to quantify core academic middle school teachers’ (English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social science) perspectives of career education. Prior research denotes that if career education exposure and awareness is provided in middle school grades, then students have the potential to develop a valuable understanding of various occupations available in the future (Akos, Konold, & Niles, 2004). Students observe what the work accomplishes and the effort required for the employee to be successful. If the occupation interests the students, then an increased motivation to complete their studies is likely to develop as they see the connection between what is taught in class and the opportunity for the desired career (Schaefer, & Rivera, 2012). In order to achieve that, the first step is to understand the teaching community’s viewpoint on career education and to use that knowledge to build successful programs. Teachers employed in a large school district in southeastern United States at the time of the study indicated their understanding of the concepts of future career orientation and career integration in its present state of use. The researcher distributed the tested CareerStart Teacher Perspective Survey (CTPS) and a selection of teacher related variables from charter, magnet, and traditional public middle schools to populate the study (n=199). Using ANOVA and regression analysis, the study found a significant difference in the value of future orientation and overall career education factors from males versus females. In addition, teachers ages 25-44 had a higher mean value for all factors than teachers of other age groups. There were no significant differences amongst teachers’ value of career education between the three different types of schools. This study contributes to the body of research pertaining to teacher perspectives of career education at the middle school level.

In Los Angeles, the charter movement has gained incredible momentum as Charter Management Organizations take over troubled public schools in working class neighborhoods and communities of color. In Watts, a Latino and African American working class neighborhood, Locke High School had long stood as a troubled school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. After decades of low test scores, violence, and astronomical dropout rates, Green Dot Public Schools took over the campus and, in 2008, opened Locke as a public charter school under its management. This study examined the perceptions, experiences, and stories of five 12th-grade students at Locke whose high school was taken over. These students described the impact this charter takeover had on their social, academic, and personal lives. Using qualitative research methodology, this study utilized student-created photo essays, in-depth semistructured interviews, and a focus group. Though the media prematurely labeled the takeover a success, the students‘ views differed. They described how the takeover helped them academically, but failed to give them a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. The takeover also failed to meet their social needs. These students discussed how the takeover improved the Locke campus, but failed to make ongoing improvements throughout the school. Students offered their stories and counterstories to the mainstream media, which applauded the changed atmosphere. They reminisced about the past, mourned social loss, complained of uniforms and strict compliance to rules, and hoped for additional changes. These students added personal voices to the takeover of their high school.

The purpose of this case study was to describe how the organization and governance of charter schools influences decisions related to curriculum and assessment methodologies. The study investigated how governance, organization, curriculum, and assessment interrelate to foster increased student performance in a charter school that had been in existence for 6 years and undergone the charter document renewal process. The Charter School studied embodies the intent of the Charter legislation. The Charter School has developed an innovative program that unites parents, teachers, students, and administrators, using shared decision making, a variety of instructional strategies, and performance-based outcomes and assessments, along with district and state required assessments. Curriculum and strategies used for instructional delivery are meaning-centered and related to the real world. Teachers have an opportunity for expanded roles and career options. Choice and freedom are key components of the school's philosophy and embedded into its culture. The organization and governance of the school provide a formal structure for feedback and input by all members of the school community into its operation. Decisions relating to the School's daily operation and the curriculum and instruction an jointly made by parents, teachers, and the administrator. Scores on the required state testing reveal scores substantially higher than the state averages in reading, math, language, and spelling. Students' scores were higher than district scores in reading and language, and the same in math and spelling. However, the small group of students tested demands caution when drawing conclusions about student achievement because it reduces the reliability of the testing data and limits the ability to conclude that an increase in student achievement has been achieved. The Charter School has been able to evolve into an effective school where quality education is occurring in a collaborative and supportive environment. The school has flourished under relaxed governmental regulations and continues to change to meet the needs of students and families.

This thesis is a comparative analysis of the neoliberal market-based reforms and outcomes implemented in both the United States and Sweden during the latter portion of the twentieth century. This thesis highlights the impact associated with the implementation of the reforms then does a comparative analysis of the outcomes. This thesis seeks to uncover the impact of the reforms and the true nature of the reforms. Many classical sociological theories are used to analyze and contextualize the education reforms as a means to preserve existing social stratifications and societal norms and introduce the capacity for private access to public education funding. Theorists used for this thesis include Karl Marx, Max Weber, Samuel Bowles, Herbert Gintis, Iris Marion Young, Stephen J. McNamee and Robert K. Miller. When analyzing these reforms through the lenses provided by the theorists, it is clear that government rhetoric associated with the reforms in both nations served as a disguise for other objectives, which this thesis shows.