| Charter schools are the latest education reform effort designed to address failing schools and students. Charter schools have a written contract with a state governing board to operate as a public school within a school district. Operated by parents, teachers, and/or community members, charter schools promise a higher level of accountability and autonomy than traditional public schools.; The purpose of this study is to provide a historical case study of the Clayton Charter School. From fall 1994 to spring 1997, the Clayton Charter School's mission was “to provide a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate early childhood educational program to enable children at risk, as defined by the Colorado Charter Schools Act, to achieve their intellectual, academic, social and emotional potential” (Clayton Charter School Operating Guidelines, 1994). The Clayton Charter School was located in northeast Denver, Colorado, and served a predominantly low income, African American and Mexican American community. Children ages 4 through 8 were eligible for the educational program, which utilized a High/Scope approach.; The Clayton Charter School was administered by The Clayton Foundation, which entered into a five-year agreement with Denver Public Schools. The foundation's Board of Trustees recommended the school's closure after three years. The closure deeply affected the close-knit community of students, parents, and staff, and created an opportunity to explore the impact of the Clayton Charter School on its community.; Interviews were conducted with Clayton Charter School stakeholders: parents from eight families, two teachers, and three administrators. Documentation, archival records, and physical artifacts were incorporated with a retrospective narrative.; Lessons from the study included: (1) charter founders should ensure that philosophical beliefs regarding education are reflected in the charter agreement with the school district and are supported by staff and parents; (2) parents believe that at risk students perform better in schools with smaller student populations; (3) a charter school's successes and challenges must be evaluated within the context of the supporting organization's developmental stage; (4) charter schools conceived by organizations with little grassroots support are less likely to survive than charter schools that do; and (5) charter schools have far-reaching and enduring consequences for their constituents. |
