Many elite colleges and universities no longer offer undergraduate
teacher preparation programs, and many
teacher preparation programs are housed within less selective colleges.5 Nonetheless, the academic
profiles of teaching candidates
in regional comprehensive universities are high relative to
other programs offered
in those
schools.6 Furthermore, many
teacher preparation programs do not have admission criteria beyond those of their home institution, and only have access to a pool of candidates already admitted to the overarching college or university.7 For these reasons among
others, the average SAT scores of students going into education have historically been lower than those of their peers entering
other professions, although there is some evidence that this is shifting.8
(e) The board shall establish the information needed
in an application for the approval of a charter
school; provided that the application shall include, but not be limited to, a description of: (i) the mission, purpose, innovation and specialized focus of the proposed charter
school; (ii) the innovative methods to be used
in the charter
school and how they differ from the district or districts from which the charter
school is expected to enroll students; (iii) the organization of the
school by ages of students or grades to be taught, an estimate of the total enrollment of the
school and the district or districts from which the
school will enroll students; (iv) the method for admission to the charter
school; (v) the educational program, instructional methodology and services to be offered to students, including research on how the proposed program may improve the academic performance of the subgroups listed
in the recruitment and retention plan; (vi) the
school's capacity to address the particular needs of limited English - proficient students, if applicable, to learn English and learn content matter, including the employment of staff that meets the criteria established by the department; (vii) how the
school shall involve parents as partners
in the education of their children; (viii) the
school governance and bylaws; (ix) a proposed arrangement or contract with an organization that shall manage or operate the
school, including any proposed or agreed upon payments to such organization; (x) the financial plan for the operation of the
school; (xi) the provision of
school facilities and pupil transportation; (xii) the number and qualifications of
teachers and administrators to be employed; (xiii) procedures for evaluation and professional development for
teachers and administrators; (xiv) a statement of equal educational opportunity which shall state that charter
schools shall be open to all students, on a space available basis, and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency
in the English language or academic achievement; (xv) a student recruitment and retention plan, including deliberate, specific strategies the
school will use to ensure the provision of equal educational opportunity as stated
in clause (xiv) and to attract, enroll and retain a student population that, when compared to students
in similar grades
in schools from which the charter
school is expected to enroll students, contains a comparable academic and demographic
profile; and (xvi) plans for disseminating successes and innovations of the charter
school to
other non-charter public
schools.