- Charter School Institute
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The Charter School Institute is an independent agency of the U.S. State of Colorado Department of Education. The Institute operates 18 independent public charter schools in the State of Colorado. The Institute is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors and operates somewhat like a statewide school district. Seven board members are appointed by the Governor of Colorado, and two by the Colorado Commissioner of Education. The mission of the Charter School Institute is to foster high-quality public school choices offered through Institute charter schools in Colorado that deliver rigorous academic content and high academic performance in the a safe environment and on par with the highest performing schools, including particularly schools for at-risk students.
Contents
History
The Charter School Institute was created in 2004 by the Colorado House Bill HB 04-1362 as an independent agency within the Colorado Department of Education. The original Board of Directors was appointed in September 2004. The Institute received no state funding for start up. Grants of $50,000 from the Daniels Fund and $137,000 from the Walton Family Foundation provided the funding to begin operations. That funding allowed the hiring of an Executive Director in February of 2005, the provision of an office space, and the conduct of the first round of applications for new Institute charter schools.
2005
Twelve applications were submitted in January of 2005 for schools to open in the Fall of 2005. After an evaluation process, two of those applications were approved: Colorado Springs Charter Academy in Colorado Springs and Ross Montessori School in Carbondale. These two schools opened in August 2005 with a total enrollment of 377 K-6 students.
2006
The Institute received nine applications for the 2006-2007 school year, including two proposals from existing charter schools seeking to transfer from local district authorization to the Institute. The Institute Board approved seven proposals for charter schools: Pinnacle Charter School in Federal Heights (transfer), High Point Academy in Aurora, T.R. Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge in Fort Collins, Stone Creek School in Avon, and the Colorado Distance & Electronic Learning Academy (statewide).
2007
The Institute approved four new schools and one school to transfer to the Institute for the fall of 2007: Caprock Academy in Grand Junction, Colorado Springs Early Colleges in Colorado Springs, Ricardo Flores Magón Academy, Cesar Chavez Colorado Springs Central in Colorado Springs, and 21st Century Charter School in Colorado Springs. One new school was approved to open in the Fall of 2008: Cesar Chavez Colorado Springs in Colorado Springs.
2008
The Institute received seven applications and approved four new schools, one new school, one a current program of another charter school, one school to transfer to the Institute in Fall of 2008, and one to open in Fall 2009: Early College of Arvada, GOAL Academy, The Vanguard Academy, Animas High School (fall 2009)
2009
The Institute received six applications for new schools to open in the fall of 2009. Two applicants withdrew, two applications were deemed incomplete, one school has been approved to open in Fall 2009, and one school has been approved to open in Fall 2010. Thomas MacClaren State Charter School (Colorado Springs) Fall 2009
Schools
Schools of the Charter School Institute[1][2]
Charter School Grades[3] Year[4] Location County State Animas High School 9-10 2009 Durango La Plata Colorado Caprock Academy K-12 2007 Grand Junction Mesa Colorado Colorado Calvert Academy K-8 2010 Denver Larimer Colorado Colorado Springs Charter Academy K-8 2005 Colorado Springs El Paso Colorado Colorado Springs Early Colleges 9-12 2007 Colorado Springs El Paso Colorado Early College of Arvada 6-12 2008 Arvada Adams Colorado GOAL Academy 9-12 2008 Pueblo Pueblo Colorado High Point Academy P-8 2006 Aurora Adams Colorado Pikes Peak Prep K-12 2005 Colorado Springs El Paso Colorado Pinnacle Charter School K-12 1997 Federal Heights Adams Colorado Provost Academy Colorado 9-12 2010 Greenwood Village El Paso Colorado Ricardo Flores Magón Academy K-8 2007 Westminster Adams Colorado Ross Montessori School P-8 2005 Carbondale Garfield Colorado Scholars to Leaders Academy K-8 2007 Colorado Springs El Paso Colorado Stone Creek Charter School K-8 2006 Avon Eagle Colorado T.R. Paul Academy of Arts and Knowledge K-8 2006 Fort Collins Larimer Colorado Thomas MacLaren School 6-12 2009 Colorado Springs El Paso Colorado The Vanguard School 7-12 2006 Colorado Springs El Paso Colorado See also
- charter school
- State of Colorado
- Colorado Department of Education
- List of school districts in Colorado
- Table of Colorado charter schools
- Colorado Department of Education
References
- ^ "Colorado Charter Schools" (pdf). Colorado Charter School Directory. State of Colorado, Department of Education. 2010-2011. http://www.cde.state.co.us/edulibdir/directory_04.pdf. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^ "School Finder" (php). Colorado Charter School Directory. Colorado League of Charter Schools. 2011. http://www.coloradoleague.org/colorado-charter-schools/school-finder.php. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
- ^ Most schools in the United States use the following grade system:
P – Preschool is recommended for children 3 and 4 years old.
K – Kindergarten is recommended for children 5 years old.
1-12 – Numbered grades are recommended for children 5 years older than the grade number. - ^ Year in which the school first opened, usually in late August or early September
External links
Categories:- Charter schools in Colorado
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