Charter schools are public schools that are responsive to students needs and are held accountable for improved student achievement.  Download the Charter Schools Fact Sheet [pdf]

Charter School Momentum There are 809 charter schools serving over 341,000 charter school students in California. Over the past 10 years, charter schools have consistently grown by an average of 50 schools a year. Charter schools serve a balanced mix of students mirroring demographics in California’s public schools.

Charter School Achievements Research shows charter schools do a better job increasing student achievement than traditional public schools.3  Learn more. A recent analysis found that 12 of the 15 top performing public schools in California serving children in poverty are charter schools.4 According to a 2007 USC field study, charter school parents cited "challenging curriculum and individualized student attention as key reasons for their high level of satisfaction."5

¹ Under Law, charter schools are required to employ credentialed teachers in core and college preparatory classes. 
² Under Law, charter schools cannot discriminate on the basis of disability, race, color, gender, national origin, religion or ancestry. 
³  Research based on the California Department of Education’s Academic Performance Index from 2004 – 2007 indicates that 11% more charters than traditional public schools show substantially higher student achievement by the end of the school year.
⁴ A November 2008 analysis conducted by the California Charter Schools Association examined 2008 Academic Performance Index (API) Growth Scores of California public schools with 70% or more Free and Reduced Price Lunch participants and found that 12 of the 15 top performing schools were charter schools.
⁵  A 2007 USC field study entitled Charter Schools and Customer Satisfaction: Lessons from Field Testing a Parent Survey by Wohlstetter, Nayfack & Mora-Flores.