Charter Schools Program

Stored: Charter Schools Program

Charter Schools Program

Type	Program
Sponsor Organization	Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Top Organization	Department of Education
Creation Legislation	Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Website	Website
Purpose	The CSP aims to expand educational opportunities for all students, particularly those traditionally underserved, by supporting the creation, expansion, and replication of high-quality charter schools. It focuses on improving student outcomes through charter school innovation and choice.
Program Start	1995
Initial Funding	$14 million in FY 1995
Duration	Ongoing
Historic	No

The U.S. Department of Education's Charter Schools Program (CSP) aims to expand educational opportunities for all students, particularly those traditionally underserved, by supporting the creation, expansion, and replication of high-quality charter schools. It focuses on improving student outcomes through charter school innovation and choice, providing funds for planning, program design, and initial implementation of new charter schools, alongside support for dissemination of best practices.

Official Site

Goals

• Increase the number of high-quality charter schools available to students across the United States.
• Enhance educational opportunities, particularly for students from underserved populations, by funding new, replicated, or expanded charter schools.
• Support charter schools in obtaining adequate facilities through various grant types like the State Charter School Facilities Incentive Grants.

Organization

The CSP is managed by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) within the U.S. Department of Education. The program director oversees the administration of CSP grants. Funding for the CSP comes from federal appropriations, with grants awarded through competitive processes.

History

The CSP was established following the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965, with specific authorization for CSP coming from amendments through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015. Initially, the program aimed at encouraging the development of charter schools. Over the years, it has evolved to include various grant competitions to address different facets of charter school support, like facilities financing and national dissemination of best practices.

Funding

The CSP was originally funded with $14 million in fiscal year 1995. Since then, funding has varied, with a consistent allocation around $440 million in recent years (e.g., FY 2023 and FY 2024). There's no defined end date for funding as the program operates on an ongoing basis, subject to Congressional appropriations. Additional funding is authorized annually, with grants distributed through multiple competitions focusing on different aspects of charter school support.

Implementation

Implementation of the CSP involves multiple grant competitions each year, including grants to State Entities, Developers, Charter Management Organizations (CMOs), and for facilities financing. These grants support various stages from planning and initial implementation to replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools. There's no specific end date for the program, given its ongoing nature.

Related

• Charter Schools
• Every Student Succeeds Act
• Elementary and Secondary Education Act

External links

• https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-discretionary-grants-support-services/charter-schools-program/
• wikipedia:Charter Schools Program

Social media

• The CSP does not have dedicated social media accounts; however, updates can be found via the U.S. Department of Education's channels.