Statewide Organizations
- Association for Personalized Learning Services
- California Charter Schools Association
- Charter School Development Center
- Charter Schools Division, California Department of Education
National Organizations
- National Association of Charter School Authorizers
- National Charter School Resource Center
- National Resource Center on Charter School Finance and Government
Statewide Organizations
Charter Schools Division, California Department of Education
The Charter Schools Division (CSD) in the California Department of Education serves as the focal point for the development and oversight of state policies, regulations, and procedures relating to charter schools, including fiscal status, liability, and accountability. The CSD also coordinates the federal Public Charter Schools Grant Program, charter school numbering by the State Board of Education (SBE), facilitates the SBE Advisory Commission on Charter Schools, and provides staff oversight for SBE authorized charter schools and all-charter districts.
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Suite 5401
Sacramento, CA 95814
phone: 916-322-6029
fax: 916-322-1465
e-mail: charters@cde.ca.gov
California Charter Schools Association
The California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) [http://www.calcharters.org/] (Outside Source) is a statewide, non-profit, non-partisan association of charter schoolteachers, administrators, parents, and other charter school supporters. CCSA is committed to serving its membership and strengthening the charter school movement through a focus in advocacy, leadership and quality, and member products and services. CCSA offers the largest charter schools conference in the country, an email newsletter on charter schools, a comprehensive Web site, professional legislative lobbying on behalf of charter schools, personal technical assistance, workshops, technology services and products, and procurement.
Charter Schools Development Center
The Charter Schools Development Center (CSDC) [http://www.chartercenter.org/] (Outside Source) provides experienced and expert technical assistance, training, and resources to charter developers, operators, and charter-granting agencies. The CSDC offers in-depth workshops and "boot camps" on both basic and technical topics, numerous charter school publications ranging from detailed "how-to" manuals and guidebooks to more brief, topical articles and papers, a major resource library of sample charter school documents and policies, the nation's most extensive charter school technical assistance web sites, and networking with charter school operators and assistance providers nationwide through the Charter Friends National Network.
Association of Personalized Learning Services
The Association of Personalized Learning Services (APLUS+) [http://www.theaplus.org/index.html] (Outside Source) is dedicated to the Personalized Learning model of education—a 21st century, leading-edge approach to delivering education that has evolved through the public charter school movement in California. Personalized Learning is a blended classroom-based and nonclassroom-based public educational model that is tailored to the needs and interests of each individual student.
National Organizations
National Association of Charter School Authorizers
The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) [http://www.qualitycharters.org/index.php] (Outside Source) is a nonprofit membership organization committed to developing and maintaining high standards for charter school authorizing.
National Charter School Resource Center
The National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) [http://www.charterschoolcenter.org/] (Outside Source) serves as a national center to provide on-demand resources, information, and technical assistance to support successful planning, authorizing, implementation, and sustainability of high-quality charter schools; to share evaluations on the effects of charter schools; and to disseminate information about successful practices in charter schools.
National Resource Center on Charter School Finance and Government
The National Resource Center on Charter School Finance and Government (NRCCSFG) [http://www.charterresource.org/index.cfm] (Outside Source) provides a clearinghouse that includes links to research reports, articles, tools and toolkits, and online charter organizations; promising practices; a searchable database of over 100 federal funding sources; and direct technical assistance, including individualized and customized support to help state education policy makers, local charter authorizers and charter school operators who are charged with encouraging, supporting and strengthening charter schools.
United States Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement
The United States Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement [http://www.ed.gov/oii-news] (Outside Source) makes strategic investments in innovative educational programs and practices, and administers the discretionary grant program called the Charter Schools Program.