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Charter Schools: Education Could Do More to Assist Charter Schools with Applying for Discretionary Grants

GAO-11-89 Published: Dec 07, 2010. Publicly Released: Dec 07, 2010.
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Highlights

 

The number of charter schools is growing, spurred by demand for innovation and federal incentives, such as the Race to the Top Fund, which favors states supportive of charter schools. However, states often define charter schools differently than traditional public schools. Some charter schools operate as a school district, while others are part of a school district and some are for-profit entities. These differences could complicate eligibility determination for federal administrators. GAO was asked: (1) To what extent do charter schools apply for federal discretionary grant programs and what challenges do they face, if any, in doing so? (2) What role has the U.S. Department of Education played in helping charter schools establish their eligibility for federal discretionary grant programs? GAO identified grant programs governmentwide for which charter schools are eligible to apply, surveyed a stratified random sample of charter school officials, and interviewed federal agency officials. We also visited charter schools, school districts, charter school associations, and state educational agencies in 3 states.

 

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Education To further publicize grant opportunities for charter schools seeking federal assistance and to help strengthen charter schools' management capacity to pursue grant opportunities, the Secretary of Education should clarify the federal discretionary grant opportunities for which charter schools are potentially eligible. For example, using existing grant notification mechanisms, Education might develop one link on the department's Web site to all federal discretionary grants for which charter schools are potentially eligible, governmentwide.
Closed – Implemented
Education concurred with our recommendation and said it would take steps to further publicize the federal discretionary grant opportunities for which charter schools are potentially eligible. Specifically, Education tasked the National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC), a technical assistance center, with compiling a list of charter schools nationwide for a listserve used to distribute relevant grant notices. NCSRC also posted grant notices on its Web site and Education linked its Charter Schools Program (CSP) Web page to this Web site. In FY13, Education reported that it posts grant notices and information on GovDelivery, a firm that expedites digital communications, including information from the NCSRC Web site. The NCSRC also sends grant information through its listserve of more than 11,000 members. However, it is not clear whether the GovDelivery and NCSRC messages reach all charter schools, whether the messages include grants in all federal agencies for which charter schools are eligible, or whether the NCSRC's grant list is updated annually. ED reported in FY14 that the NCSRC continued to post grant opportunities on its website and included a link to allow viewers to upload opportunities. The CSP continued to send out grant information through GovDelivery. In FY15, ED reported that tasks assigned to the NCSRC include annual reconciliation of the distribution list for updated funding opportunities. Under the NCSRC contractor's upcoming contract option year, the NCSRC will update funding opportunities, determine which charter schools are not signed up for the listserv, and invite those charter schools to join.
Department of Education To further publicize grant opportunities for charter schools seeking federal assistance and to help strengthen charter schools' management capacity to pursue grant opportunities, the Secretary of Education should require all pertinent Education discretionary grant program offices to add text to the grant announcement stating that charter schools meeting the relevant eligibility criterion are eligible to apply for the grant.
Closed – Implemented
Education concurred with our recommendation and stated that it will add text to all of the Department's pertinent discretionary grant announcements indicating that charter schools meeting relevant criterion are eligible to apply. Education also plans to encourage other federal agencies to identify charter schools as eligible applicants in relevant grant application notices. In fiscal year 2013, Education reported that they continue to ask other agencies to list charter schools as eligible applicants in their grant notices. In FY14, Education provided a list of ED grants that list charter schools as eligible applicants, such as Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Programs and Project Prevent Grant Program. A review of the list confirms that Education has begun adding text to pertinent discretionary grant announcements that charter schools meeting relevant criteria are eligible to apply.
Department of Education To further publicize grant opportunities for charter schools seeking federal assistance and to help strengthen charter schools' management capacity to pursue grant opportunities, the Secretary of Education should require that the Charter Schools Program (CSP) post the guidance for applying for federal grant programs that it developed for charter schools on the department's Web site.
Closed – Implemented
Education stated that it would provide updated guidance for applying to federal grant programs on the National Charter School Resource Center (NCSRC) Web site. The Web site would also highlight federal discretionary grant application experiences of small charter schools that previously won awards. In FY13, Education provided us with links to the information available on the Charter Schools Program (CSP) Web page about its seven grants, to the list of grant opportunities on the NCSRC Web site, and to a webinar presented in July 2011 about developing fund raising strategies. Education reported in FY14 that the CSP collaborated with the i3 and Race to the Top programs in July 2013 to present at the National Charter Schools Conference on Beyond CSP: Charter Schools' Roles in Department of Education Grant Programs. The NCSRC materials continue to be available via the NCSRC website. In FY15, Education reported that under the NCSRC contractor's upcoming contract option year, the NCSRC will update Federal Funding Opportunities, a document first created for the 2012 National Charter Schools Conference, which describes programs throughout the Federal government for which charter schools might be eligible. This document will serve as an on-line resource for charter schools.

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Topics

Aid for educationCharter schoolsDiscretionary grantsEducationEducational facilitiesEducational grantsEligibility criteriaEligibility determinationsFederal fundsFederal grantsGrant award proceduresPublic schoolsSchool districtsSchool management and organizationSurveys