Introduction
Fourth-grader Ashley Tropez volunteers to answer at Christel House Academy, one of four charter schools that opened this fall in Indianapolis, Ind. Since the first charter school opened 10 years ago in Minnesota, some 2,700 have been launched. (AP Photo/John Harrell)
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A decade after the birth of the charter school movement, reform activists and mainstream educators disagree over whether these experimental public schools are a promising innovation or a damaging distraction. The nation's nearly 2,700 charter schools operate in 39 states, enjoying freedom from many traditional regulations. But they must deliver concrete results in a specified period or risk being shut down. Charters vary as much in their instructional approaches as they do in their genesis, facilities, quality and political constituencies. Yet, the evidence remains inconclusive as to whether they are boosting student achievement. The evolving movement remains divided between critics, who see it as the first step in dismembering America's public education system, and those who see it as the system's last best hope.
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Dec. 20, 2002 |
Charter Schools |
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Feb. 15, 2002 |
School Vouchers Showdown |
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May 04, 2001 |
Faith-Based Initiatives |
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Jan. 12, 2001 |
Religion in Schools |
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Apr. 09, 1999 |
School Vouchers |
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Jul. 18, 1997 |
School Choice Debate |
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Feb. 18, 1994 |
Religion in Schools |
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May 10, 1991 |
School Choice |
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Aug. 16, 1983 |
School Prayer |
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Apr. 20, 1979 |
Private School Resurgence |
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Sep. 02, 1967 |
Private Schooling |
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Sep. 12, 1947 |
Religion in the Schools |
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