Third Year Evaluation of

schools were successful in gaining approval to begin operating in the 2003-2004 academic year. The second cohort of three charter schools began operation during the 2004-2005 academic year, with the third cohort of five schools starting-up during the 2005-2006 academic year. According to the charter school law, these charter schools were granted “maximum flexibility ” to achieve alternative ways for public schools to educate school children. Though the flexibility granted to these schools is considered an advantage, previous research on charter schools has demonstrated mixed results in their success. The purpose of the present evaluation study was to examine the progress made in program implementation, school climate, and student achievement by the charter schools. A “mixed-methods ” design, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative data, was employed. The questions upon which the evaluation methods are based relate to the progress of individual schools and the overall group in implementing desired strategies for curriculum, instruction, and organization, and in attaining the goals of No Child Left Behind by bringing every child to proficiency in reading and mathematics on the TCAP by 2014. It should be noted that student achievement will be more fully examined in a supplemental report when student-level data become available