The Charter Center’s online resource library offers schools in NYC and across the country research, exemplars, training materials and more that have been developed over nearly 20 years of supporting a high quality charter sector.
| Title | Topic | Audience | Description | resource_topic_hfilter | audience_hfilter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountability: Developing a Leadership Dashboard | Leadership & Governance | Board, School Leaders, School Operations | A dashboard is an essential tool for charter school leaders and the board. This presentation will help you build a dashboard for your charter school. | leadership-governance | board school-leaders school-operations |
| ATS for the Office of Pupil Transportation | DOE Systems, Operations Management | School Operations | This NYC DOE publication is a comprehensive guide to using ATS to manage transportation services. The guide contains an overview of OPT and ATS, key … | doe-systems operations-management | school-operations |
| ATS Overview Developed by Charter School Leaders | DOE Systems, Operations Management | School Operations | This comprehensive guide, developed and originally presented by Rebecca Daverin of Explore Schools, is a great one-stop resource for the most useful ATS functions and … | doe-systems operations-management | school-operations |
| ATS Training Video | Operations Management | School Operations | Welcome to the world of ATS! This training video is a great one-stop resource for the most useful ATS functions and reports. It covers the … | operations-management | school-operations |
| Board Assessment Tool | Leadership & Governance | Board, School Leaders | This assessment matrix aids in the assessment of a Charter School Board’s effectiveness. Leadership Roles, Board Composition, Meetings and Committees are graded in three levels: … | leadership-governance | board school-leaders |
| Board Positions | Leadership & Governance | Board, School Leaders | Understanding the roles and responsibilities of board members is an important step in effective governance. These resources will help clarify what the board chair and … | leadership-governance | board school-leaders |
| Building a Charter School Founding Board | Leadership & Governance, New School Development | Board, Founding Teams, School Leaders | The skills and dedication of the personnel who make up the founding charter school Board are essential for a new school’s success. These resources will … | leadership-governance new-school-development | board founding-teams school-leaders |
| Charter Management Organization Guide | Leadership & Governance | Board, School Leaders | Of all the decisions made by new Charter Schools, few are more important than deciding whether to contract for school management services. Choosing well requires … | leadership-governance | board school-leaders |
| Charter Renewal | Leadership & Governance, NY Charter Authorizers, Operations Management | School Leaders, School Operations | In addition to hosting regular discussions with the authorizers, the Charter Center has collected these resources and exemplars to assist schools facing the complex project … | leadership-governance ny-charter-authorizers operations-management | school-leaders school-operations |
| Charter School Board Training | Financial Management, Leadership & Governance, New School Development | Board, Founding Teams | The New York City Charter School Center partnered with the SUNY Charter School Institute, the NYSED Charter School Office and the NYC DOE Office of … | financial-management leadership-governance new-school-development | board founding-teams |
| Charter School Legal Guidance and Resources | Laws & Regulations | School Operations | New York State’s law on charter schools changed in important ways in the last five years. We have created a black-lined version of the Act that visually … | laws-regulations | school-operations |
| Charter School Legal Issues: “Friends Of” Organizations | Laws & Regulations, Leadership & Governance | Board, School Leaders | A “Friends of XYZ Charter School” organization is a separate, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that is created to raise funds, awareness and otherwise support a charter … | laws-regulations leadership-governance | board school-leaders |
| Charter School Remote Learning Models | Remote Learning | Educators | covid-19-remote-learning | educators | |
| Computer-Based Testing (CBT) FAQ | Academics & Testing | School Leaders, School Operations | The Charter Center has developed an extensive Computer-Based Testing (CBT) FAQ resource specifically designed to tackle frequently asked questions concerning CBT. In the dynamic realm … | academics-testing | school-leaders school-operations |
| Computer-Based Testing Timeline | Academics & Testing | Educators, School Leaders | In the rapidly changing landscape of education, particularly in the realm of computer-based testing, New York’s school leaders face the crucial task of ensuring the … | academics-testing | educators school-leaders |
| Creating Effective Community Engagement | Community Engagement, Laws & Regulations, New School Development, Student Enrollment & Recruitment | Founding Teams, Policy & Advocacy, School Communications/Marketing, School Leaders | Engaging with the community is crucial for educational institutions, and the presentations below aim to equip schools with simple yet powerful tools to foster meaningful … | community-engagement laws-regulations new-school-development student-enrollment-recruitment | founding-teams policy-advocacy school-communications-marketing school-leaders |
| CREDO Study: Urban Charter Schools Outperform Traditional School Peers (March 2015) | Policy & Advocacy, School Communications/Marketing | In 2015, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) conducted a comprehensive study examining the performance of urban charter schools relative to traditional public … | policy-advocacy school-communications-marketing | ||
| Developing a Sound School Budget | Financial Management, Operations Management | Founding Teams, School Finance, School Leaders | This presentation from the New York City Charter School Center explains the proper way to prepare a budget for a new charter school. All revenue … | financial-management operations-management | founding-teams school-finance school-leaders |
| Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) | Community Engagement, Laws & Regulations | Educators, School Leaders, Students & Families | The Dignity for All Students Act is a New York State law that aims to provide a safe and supportive educational environment for all students, … | community-engagement laws-regulations | educators school-leaders students-families |
| Employee Benefits | Human Resources | School HR, School Operations | These resources will help charter schools decide what employee benefits to offer, and ease the process of setting up benefit plans. Employee Benefits Charter Start … | human-resources | school-hr school-operations |
| Employee File Checklist Template | Human Resources | Founding Teams, School HR | The employee file, or personnel file, contains a detailed record of every employment action and protocol. Employment files require precise measures and upkeep to ensure … | human-resources | founding-teams school-hr |
| Employment Law 101 | Human Resources, Laws & Regulations, New School Development | Board, Founding Teams, School HR, School Leaders | Legal issues impact all stages of the hiring process. This presentation from the New York City Charter School Center in conjunction with McCarter and English … | human-resources laws-regulations new-school-development | board founding-teams school-hr school-leaders |
| Facilities Funding Fact Sheet | Facilities | Founding Teams, School Leaders | facilities | founding-teams school-leaders | |
| Facilities: For Charters Co-Located in DOE Buildings | Facilities, Leadership & Governance, Operations Management | School Leaders, School Operations | The Co-Location Handbook” explores the practice of shared space in NYC Public Schools, aligned with the Education Department’s mission. Educators collaborate with stakeholders to improve … | facilities leadership-governance operations-management | school-leaders school-operations |
| Family Handbook Exemplars | New School Development, Operations Management | Founding Teams, School Leaders, School Operations, Students & Families | A family handbook provides charter school families with answers to their most common questions and helps to guide families and students in the school’s processes … | new-school-development operations-management | founding-teams school-leaders school-operations students-families |
| FAQs: Open Meetings Law | Community Engagement, Laws & Regulations, Leadership & Governance, Operations Management | Board, School Leaders, School Operations | Did you know that New York City charter schools are subject to the requirements of New York State’s Open Meetings Law (OML)? The OML is … | community-engagement laws-regulations leadership-governance operations-management | board school-leaders school-operations |
| Finance Forms for Charter Schools | Financial Management, New School Development, Operations Management | Founding Teams, School Finance, School Operations | Charter schools can use this set of templates from the New York City Charter School Center to create their own forms. Included are templates for … | financial-management new-school-development operations-management | founding-teams school-finance school-operations |
| Fiscal Decision Making: Staffing and Software | Financial Management, New School Development | Founding Teams, School Finance | financial-management new-school-development | founding-teams school-finance | |
| FUNDING: City Grants for Charter Schools | Community Engagement, Financial Management, Policy & Advocacy | Policy & Advocacy, School Finance, School Operations | Each year, the Borough Presidents’ offices and New York City Council members distribute millions of dollars in public funds through discretionary grant programs. Public schools … | community-engagement financial-management policy-advocacy | policy-advocacy school-finance school-operations |
| Governance: Bylaws and Conflict of Interest Policies for Charter Schools | Laws & Regulations, Leadership & Governance | Board, School Leaders | All charter schools must have a set of bylaws and conflict of interest policies that comply with New York law. When was the last time … | laws-regulations leadership-governance | board school-leaders |
| High School Diploma Information | Operations Management | School Operations | For High Schools looking to order diplomas, please note that charter schools do not use the NYC DOE diploma. Since the State does not require … | operations-management | school-operations |
| Immunization | DOE Systems, Health & Safety, Laws & Regulations | Founding Teams, School Leaders, School Operations, Students & Families | Charter schools are required to comply with the requirements of the New York State Department of Health (DOH) in effect since September 1, 2016. In order … | doe-systems health-safety laws-regulations | founding-teams school-leaders school-operations students-families |
| Lottery Procedures and Best Practices | Student Enrollment & Recruitment | School Leaders, School Operations | To effectively run a school’s enrollment process, the lottery procedure is a crucial aspect that can be approached in numerous ways. The lottery process can … | student-enrollment-recruitment | school-leaders school-operations |
| MLL/ELL Identification Process | ELL/MLL Learner Support, Laws & Regulations, Student Enrollment & Recruitment | Educators, School Leaders | In today’s diverse educational landscape, catering to the diverse needs of students is paramount. Among these needs, supporting Multilingual Learners (MLL) or English Language Learners … | ell-mll-education laws-regulations student-enrollment-recruitment | educators school-leaders |
| Model Conflict of Interest Policy | Laws & Regulations, Leadership & Governance | School Leaders, School Operations | Model policy on conflicts of interest, including exceptions to the law; express prohibitions; penalties; disclosure of interests. | laws-regulations leadership-governance | school-leaders school-operations |
| Moving In and Setting Up: Templates and Exemplars | Financial Management, New School Development | Educators, Founding Teams, School Leaders | financial-management new-school-development | educators founding-teams school-leaders | |
| Myths vs. Facts 2022 | Founding Teams, School Leaders | founding-teams school-leaders | |||
| New Provisions Passed In 2018-19 State Budget Legislation | Financial Management, Laws & Regulations | Board, School Finance, School Leaders | New York State’s 2018-19 budget includes several budgetary items and a legislative amendment affecting charter schools in New York City. This memo provides details on … | financial-management laws-regulations | board school-finance school-leaders |
| New Provisions Passed In 2019-20 State Budget Legislation | Financial Management | School Finance, School Leaders, School Operations | New York State’s 2019-20 budget includes several budgetary items and a legislative amendment affecting charter schools in New York City. This memo provides details on … | financial-management | school-finance school-leaders school-operations |
| New York State Alternative Assessment (NYSAA) | Academics & Testing, Special Education | Educators, School Leaders | academics-testing special-education | educators school-leaders | |
| New York State Charter Schools Act of 1998 (as amended) | Laws & Regulations | Policy & Advocacy, School Leaders, School Operations | New York State’s law on charter schools changed in important ways in April 2014 and May 2010. The Charter Center created a black-lined version of … | laws-regulations | policy-advocacy school-leaders school-operations |
| NYC Charter School Operations Calendar | Operations Management | Founding Teams, School Leaders, School Operations | Compiled by school staff across the sector, this worksheet provides an interactive checklist of major activities and deadlines that affect the operation of a charter … | operations-management | founding-teams school-leaders school-operations |
| NYC School Construction Authority (SCA) Manuals | Facilities, Operations Management | School Operations | The NYC School Construction Authority (NYC SCA) has introduced a Safety Program & Procedures Manual to ensure safe practices in New York City school building … | facilities operations-management | school-operations |
| NYSTL Purchasing in FAMIS | Financial Management, Operations Management | School Finance, School Operations | Each charter school receives a grant for textbooks, library books and software under the New York State Textbook Law (NYSTL). The grant is administered by … | financial-management operations-management | school-finance school-operations |
| Operations Brief: Frequently Asked Questions about the New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) | Laws & Regulations, Leadership & Governance, Operations Management | Board, School Leaders | All New York charter schools are subject to the requirements of New York State’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). FOIL is a New York State law that … | laws-regulations leadership-governance operations-management | board school-leaders |
| Operations Guide Exemplar | New School Development, Operations Management | School Operations | School facility operations and maintenance exist to support the primary purpose of any school: quality learning. By maintaining a working Operations Guide for your school, … | new-school-development operations-management | school-operations |
| Operations Management: Navigating City and State Systems | DOE Systems, Operations Management | School Operations | Whether you are a new school or just new in your role, you need to navigate many New York City and New York State systems. … | doe-systems operations-management | school-operations |
| Operations Resource Guide | DOE Systems, Operations Management | School Leaders, School Operations | The DOE Charter Office put together an Operations Resource Guide to aide in the important end of year and start of the year tasks. It … | doe-systems operations-management | school-leaders school-operations |
| OPT Request for Service Procedure | DOE Systems, School Meals & Transportation | School Operations | This guide from the NYC DOE’s Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) pertains to procedures for requesting services. Included in this guide are: A List of … | doe-systems school-meals-transportation | school-operations |
| Parent Engagement Handbook | Community Engagement | Policy & Advocacy, Students & Families | Parents play a vital role in a child’s life and education. It is important for parents to engage their child and build strong partnerships with … | community-engagement | policy-advocacy students-families |
| Recruiting and Hiring Effective Teachers | |||||
| Rent Lawsuit Dismissed | Facilities, Laws & Regulations | Board, School Leaders | facilities laws-regulations | board school-leaders | |
| Resources for Families | Remote Learning | Students & Families | covid-19-remote-learning | students-families | |
| Sample Board Minutes | Leadership & Governance, New School Development | Board, Founding Teams, School Leaders | Meeting minutes are a formal recording of transactions that happened at a particular time and place. Minutes are a record of what was done at … | leadership-governance new-school-development | board founding-teams school-leaders |
| Sample Board Prospectus for a Proposed Charter School | Leadership & Governance, New School Development | Board, Founding Teams | leadership-governance new-school-development | board founding-teams | |
| School Funding Comparisons by the NYC Independent Budget Office (IBO) (2010-11) | Financial Management | Policy & Advocacy, School Finance | financial-management | policy-advocacy school-finance | |
| Special Education And Mll/Ell Resources | Remote Learning | Educators | covid-19-remote-learning | educators | |
| SPED: ATS Special Education Reports | DOE Systems, Special Education | Educators, School Operations | This ATS report manual guides readers through the most common special education reports that schools can run within ATS. OVERVIEW This manual is for veteran … | doe-systems special-education | educators school-operations |
| SPED: CSE and Compliance | Special Education | School Leaders, School Operations | The September 2010 presentation Common Coordination Issues, from the Brooklyn Charter School Student Support Agency, addresses common coordination issues facing schools with Special Education students. The … | special-education | school-leaders school-operations |
| SPED: Regulations and Procedures | Laws & Regulations, Special Education | Educators, School Leaders | The Regulations of the Commissioner are available online. Part 200 is the law regulating special education in New York State. The Standard Operating Procedures Manual is a how-to guide explaining … | laws-regulations special-education | educators school-leaders |
| Staff Handbook | Human Resources, Laws & Regulations, Operations Management | School HR, School Leaders, School Operations | Clear expectations promote strong performances. A comprehensive staff handbook is the best way to ensure all employees understand the professional standards and culture of the … | human-resources laws-regulations operations-management | school-hr school-leaders school-operations |
| Student Recruitment: Enrollment Best Practices | Operations Management, Student Enrollment & Recruitment | School Operations, Students & Families | Here you can find student enrollment templates and exemplars from your colleagues that are useful in the creation of a new school’s procedures or in … | operations-management student-enrollment-recruitment | school-operations students-families |
| Students in Temporary Housing: Students’ Rights and Schools’ Responsibilities | Laws & Regulations, New School Development, Student Enrollment & Recruitment | Founding Teams, Policy & Advocacy, School Leaders, School Operations, Students & Families | Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the McKinney-Vento Act guarantees educational rights for students experiencing homelessness or residing in unstable housing situations. To ensure … | laws-regulations new-school-development student-enrollment-recruitment | founding-teams policy-advocacy school-leaders school-operations students-families |
| Teacher Certification Resources | Human Resources, Laws & Regulations | School HR, School Operations | The Charter Center’s resources are compiled from NYSED and our experience assisting teachers to navigate the certification process. Schools participating in our Teacher Certification Program … | human-resources laws-regulations | school-hr school-operations |
| Technology Resources & Tips | Remote Learning | Educators | covid-19-remote-learning | educators | |
| Testing Accommodations for Students Identified as Multilingual Learners (MLLs) | ELL/MLL Learner Support | Educators | All current ELLs, as well as former ELLs for up to two years after exiting ELL status, are eligible for ELL testing accommodations in addition … | ell-mll-education | educators |
| The Facility Access Process: Co-Location and Private Space | Facilities, Laws & Regulations | Board, Founding Teams, School Finance, School Leaders | In March 2014, state law was changed to grant a subset of NYC charter schools a statutory right to facilities assistance. Education Law §2853(3)). Charter … | facilities laws-regulations | board founding-teams school-finance school-leaders |
| The Pupil Accounting Handbook | Operations Management, Student Enrollment & Recruitment | School Operations | The NYC DOE handbook on Pupil Accounting for charter schools. Introduction: Introduction to Pupil Accounting; organizational tree of the Pupil Personnel Services Network. Admitting Students: … | operations-management student-enrollment-recruitment | school-operations |
| Understanding Your School Food Options | New School Development, School Meals & Transportation | Board, Founding Teams, School Operations | There are so many misconceptions about school lunch in the NYC charter sector. But not knowing how the various programs work could leave your scholars … | new-school-development school-meals-transportation | board founding-teams school-operations |
| What are Charters Schools – Resources | Educators | educators | |||
| Working Papers for Students | Laws & Regulations, Operations Management | School Operations | Students aged 14-17 who work part time, including summer employment, are required to have “employment certificates” (often called Working Papers) issued by the school. The … | laws-regulations operations-management | school-operations |
| Working with the Administration for Child Services (ACS) | Health & Safety, Operations Management | School Operations | The Administration for Child Services (ACS) is working to build a stronger partnership with charter schools to support students in the child welfare program. ACS’s … | health-safety operations-management | school-operations |