Individual Schedules In Schools Case Study

Charter schools are aimed at giving parents and educators greater freedom to design an educational program aimed at increasing student achievement, accounting for greater freedom of contract between not only parent and school but also school and state.

Charter schools and voucher programs to private schools attempt to provide choice to individual students.

When asked if the Corvallis school district should change their schedule to a full year schedule with each core class being in each quarter, there is immediate pros and cons that come to mind. Longer breaks, being done faster with a class, all sound intriguing but you have to really think it through and put yourself in all the students and faculty’s shoes and have to make the decision of, if the new schedule works for everyone.

Each “track” of students is staggered throughout the year so that each group is attending the school at different times. For example, a school that has 1000 students could rotate them into five groups of 200 students each. Using a multi-track schedule also decreases the need for construction of new schools. According to Rivera, of the Washington Post (2003): when employing a multi-track schedule, “25 percent more students can attend year-round schools,” without added construction (para. 8). (9)Additionally, Barber (1996) adds that The Soccoro Independent School District, in Texas, “saved 30 million dollars of tax payer money by using a multi-track schedule” (para. 4). One result of overcrowding is a lack of personal assistance.

Are charter schools the right choice to the educational needs of our children? Charter schools are tuition free public schools created and operated by parents, organizations, and community groups to fill student’s educational needs. Charter schools consider educating their students as the priority, and identify how children’s learning needs are different from each other, so they came up with different ways on educating their students such as learning in small groups, or by participating in hands on learning. Along with their unique programs such as art, math, and science, charter schools are also the stronger academic choice for students. Parents should consider charter schools for their children’s

It is for those reasons that public charter schools are part of the solution to a better education system; they offer an alternative to the monopoly that is leaving so many students behind. Charter schools are independent public schools with rigorous curriculum programs and unique educational approaches. In exchange for operational freedom and flexibility, charter schools are subject to higher levels of accountability than traditional public schools. Charter schools, which are tuition-free and open to all students, offer quality and choice in the public education

While these aspects of charter schools have been very important in beginning this movement, ultimately it is the effectiveness of charter schools that will determine their future. Evidence regarding the aggregate effectiveness of charter schools is mixed. Most famously, the 2009 study by the Center for Educational Outcomes stated that “17 percent, provide superior education opportunities for their students. Nearly half of the charter schools nationwide have results that are no different from the local public school options and over a third, 37 percent, deliver learning results that are significantly worse than their student would have realized had they remained in traditional public schools.” While those numbers resonate like a failure of the charter experiment, when examined further, some of those claims fall about. In his article “Improving Charter School Accountability: The Challenge of Closing Failing Schools,” David Osborne states that the fallacy in this study is that the majority of the evidence comes from “a student’s first year in a charter schools.” This taints the study because “when

Charter schools are public institutions, supported by public funds. The have greater freedom from state rules and regulations than a traditional public school. Charter schools are typically free to design curriculum, and promote certain standards. A charter school must negotiate a contract or “charter”, usually with a local school district designed by the state. Each charter may vary, because each state has different education laws.

Charter schools are unique public schools that are allowed the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement (what is a charter school 2017). Because they are public schools, they are open to all children; do not charge tuition; and do not have special entrance requirements. The core of the charter school model is the belief that public schools should be held accountable for student learning (what is a charter school 2017). In exchange for this accountability, school leaders should be given freedom to do whatever it takes to help students achieve and should share what works with the broader public school system so that all students benefit (what is a charter school

Charter schools in the United States were created as a response to the perceived lack of educational achievement among American students. A community of critics consisting of educators, parents, politicians and entrepreneurs came together under the unified belief that current education policy was too restrictive and prohibited educational innovation. As a result, the education reform movement was born. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, “Charter schools are publicly funded, privately managed and semi-autonomous schools of choice. They do not charge tuition. They must hold to the same academic accountability measures as traditional schools. They receive public funding similarly to traditional schools. However, they have more freedom over their budgets, staffing, curricula and other operations.”

Charter schools serve students better than public schools because charter schools have a lot to offer. If parents send their children to private school they would have to fork out the tuition bills themselves. Since charter school financing is taken care of by the public, parents don’t need to worry about having enough money to send their children to school. So many families that cannot afford to enroll their children in private schools can have the option of sending their children to charter schools. The public financing that charter schools receive makes it free for all families. Many charter schools have special interest classes and give students a choice to choose classes such as the performing arts. Those students that attend these

Charter schools differ from traditional public schools on three basic principles: accountability, choice and autonomy. Charter schools are held accountable for their ability to educate students, management of finances and handle operations. If they do not meet the guidelines established by the charter they are closed. They give families a choice as to what school their children will attend. Finally, charter schools have more autonomy than traditional public schools. They are able to make their own decisions regarding curriculum and school governance and can focus on academic achievement instead of bureaucracy. (“Resistance Hinders Success,” 2004)

Charter schools give struggling minorities access to better education. Because charter schools often have more applicants than spaces, they must resort to “weighted lottery.” This means that the kids who are struggling to get a good education get picked first. This gives an equal opportunity to all families. Picking from a lottery also increases racial diversity in the classes. An advantage of this is that students critical thinking and collaborative skills all improve when put in a more racially diverse setting. The students in charter schools also benefit from extra days of schooling. Usually, charter schools get three to ten additional weeks of school versus public schools who do not. All students including the minorities get extra days

This shows that year-round school is at least as good as the traditional schedule in helping students learn. Year-round school also allows more time for remedial classes during the breaks, which can help students who are falling behind during the school year catch back up. This is in contrast with summer school, which only occurs after school is over and students are finished with the curriculum, making students have to start a totally new class just to catch up. Remedial classes reinforce material that is fresh in students’ minds instead of forcing them to recall something they may have learned half a year ago and probably forgotten. This once again cuts down on the time it takes to bring students up to speed with their classes.

Many charter schools are known for their rigorous programs that challenge students to fulfill specific requirements that are different from traditional schools. Charter schools also value the idea of cultivating students with a talent for arts, technology or music (Chen). Institutions such as charter schools may be viewed as open or loosely constructed based on the unique guidelines displayed in each school’s charter, but in reality this is untrue because the individuality of each charter is what allows each student to excel based on the personalization and attention given to every single student who attends. A charter school has the potential to reach out into the community and help children who are not able to fit in at a traditional public school and it may allow the student to learn from a new perspective. Any child is allowed to apply to a charter school and they are admitted on a first-come, first served basis or through a lottery. The decision is not made on race or sex of the child and there is a fair chance for every student. A charter school is a great alternative to private school because there is no tuition fee at a charter school which is run by the state. Operators of the charter schools are able to provide children with a school that will create new and improved services which are lacking in the public school districts (“Charter School FAQ”). A charter school can also help