Functional Statements > Office of Innovation and Improvement

G. CHARTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Charter School Programs (CSP) is headed by a Director, reports to the Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary for Improvement and Reform. It oversees Department activities that support alternatives in education including:

The administration of these programs involves the development of legislative proposals; formulation of program regulations and policies; the establishment of management goals and priorities; the provision of leadership and information to the education community and others concerned with the issues addressed by the programs; the design and conduct of grant selection procedures; the selection of grant recipients; technical assistance for prospective grant applicants; project monitoring; and technical assistance and guidance to grant recipients to promote project success.

POI coordinates with other Offices on issues that impact charter schools, magnet schools, and public school choice. It also develops communications materials, including speeches, talking points websites, brochures and other appropriate materials that promote the Department’s positions on expanded parental choice in education.

The Office develops guidance and procedures that leverage competitive grant programs to support innovative approaches and rigorously evaluate their impact, and shares this expertise with other Offices with responsibility for overseeing competitive grant programs.  It works with the Center on Education Evaluation in OERI to coordinate rigorous evaluations of a select number of the Office’s programs.  It also widely disseminates the findings from evaluations to other offices and the field.

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