Resource Library

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.

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TitleTopicAudienceDescriptionresource_topic_hfilteraudience_hfilter
2012 Charter Schools ATS Manual Provided by the NYC DOE, This guidebook provides the most up-to-date directions from the NYC DOE for Charter Schools using the ATS system. It covers all primary features of accessing …doe-systems operations-managementschool-operations
2019 Application Timeline – NYSED and SUNYHere are updated timelines for the submission of applications to establish charter schools in New York State authorized by NYS Board of Regents and the …new-school-developmentfounding-teams
2021-2022 Reopening Guidance, , , , , covid-19-eoegeducators policy-advocacy school-communications-marketing school-hr school-leaders school-operations
2022-23 COVID-19 Health Guidancecovid-19-eoeg-2022
Accountability: Developing a Leadership Dashboard, , 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-governanceboard school-leaders school-operations
Admissions and Enrollment Best Practices, This guide, originally presented at The New York City Charter School Center in 2012, will provide an overview of best practices in the admissions and …operations-management student-enrollment-recruitmentschool-operations
ATS for the Office of Pupil Transportation, 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-managementschool-operations
ATS Overview Developed by Charter School Leaders, 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-managementschool-operations
ATS Training VideoWelcome 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-managementschool-operations
Best Practices for Using Lottery Preferences, Running a lottery is a crucial aspect of your school’s enrollment process, but there are numerous ways to approach it. Your school’s lottery process can …student-enrollment-recruitmentschool-leaders school-operations
Board Assessment Tool, 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-governanceboard school-leaders
Board Positions, 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-governanceboard school-leaders
Building a Charter School Founding Board, , , 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-developmentboard founding-teams school-leaders
Charter Management Organization Guide, 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-governanceboard school-leaders
Charter Renewal, , , 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-managementschool-leaders school-operations
Charter School Board Training, , , 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-developmentboard founding-teams
Charter School Legal Guidance and ResourcesNew 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-regulationsschool-operations
Charter School Legal Issues: “Friends Of” Organizations, , 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-governanceboard school-leaders
Charter School Remote Learning Modelscovid-19-remote-learningeducators
Community Engagement, , , , , These simple, yet effective tools will aid your school in engaging with your elected officials, local decision-makers, parents and more.community-engagement laws-regulations new-school-developmentfounding-teams policy-advocacy school-communications-marketing school-leaders
Creating Data-Driven Schools, academics-testingeducators school-leaders
Creating Effective Community Engagement, , , , This presentation, intended for pre-authorization planning teams, focuses on effective practices for community engagement and advocacy strategies.  In addition to offering numerous tips and advice, …community-engagement new-school-development student-enrollment-recruitmentboard school-communications-marketing school-leaders
CREDO Study: Urban Charter Schools Outperform Traditional School Peers (March 2015), academics-testingpolicy-advocacy school-communications-marketing
Curriculum Philosophies: Social Studies, , academics-testing new-school-developmenteducators founding-teams
Developing a Sound School Budget, , , 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-managementfounding-teams school-finance school-leaders
Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), , , , The NY State Education Department has recently released guidance and training materials for district schools related to the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), which …anti-bias-education community-engagement laws-regulationseducators school-leaders students-families
DOH Posters & Flyers for Schools, covid-19-eoegschool-leaders school-operations
ELLS: Best Practices: Home Language Identification Surveys, , , , The Charter Center’s Vice President of The Collaborative for Inclusive Education, Melissa Katz, has laid out best practices to ensure the accuracy of new students’ …ell-mll-education special-education student-enrollment-recruitmenteducators school-operations students-families
ELLS: NYSITELL Administration and Scanning, , , How do schools identify ELL students once they are enrolled in the charter school? Under federal mandate, schools must administer a home language survey at …ell-mll-education laws-regulations student-enrollment-recruitmenteducators school-leaders
ELLS: Testing Accommodations for Students Identified as Limited English Proficiency and English Language Learnersell-mll-educationeducators
Employee Benefits, 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-resourcesschool-hr school-operations
Employee File Checklist Template, 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-resourcesfounding-teams school-hr
Employment Law 101, , , , , 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-developmentboard founding-teams school-hr school-leaders
Enrollment & Recruitment: Student Recruitment and Lottery, A presentation from the New York City Charter School Center’s Start Right Program on student recruitment and the lottery.  Also included as separate documents are …student-enrollment-recruitmentschool-leaders school-operations
Facilities Funding Fact Sheet, facilitiesfounding-teams school-leaders
Facilities: For Charters Co-Located in DOE Buildings, , , The NYC DOE sets clear campus guidelines for schools co-located in DOE buildings whether they are district or charter schools. The DOE Division of Space …facilities leadership-governance operations-managementschool-leaders school-operations
Family Handbook Exemplars, , , , 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-managementfounding-teams school-leaders school-operations students-families
FAQs: Open Meetings Law, , , , , 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-managementboard school-leaders school-operations
Finance Forms for Charter Schools, , , , 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-managementfounding-teams school-finance school-operations
Fiscal Decision Making: Staffing and Software, , financial-management new-school-developmentfounding-teams school-finance
FUNDING: City Grants for Charter Schools, , , , 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-advocacypolicy-advocacy school-finance school-operations
Governance: Bylaws and Conflict of Interest Policies for Charter Schools, , 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-governanceboard school-leaders
Governing Board Resources For Schools, covid-19-eoegschool-leaders school-operations
Grade-Level Team Meeting, , academics-testing new-school-developmenteducators founding-teams
Health And Public Safety Guidance, covid-19-eoegschool-leaders school-operations
High School Diploma InformationFor 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-managementschool-operations
Immunization, , , , , Charter schools are required to comply with the requirements of the New York State Department of Health (DOH) in effect since September 1, 2016, and …doe-systems health-safety laws-regulationsfounding-teams school-leaders school-operations students-families
Model Conflict of Interest Policy, , Model policy on conflicts of interest, including exceptions to the law; express prohibitions; penalties; disclosure of interests.laws-regulations leadership-governanceschool-leaders school-operations
Moving In and Setting Up: Templates and Exemplars, , , financial-management new-school-developmenteducators founding-teams school-leaders
Myths vs. Facts 2022, founding-teams school-leaders
New Provisions Passed In 2018-19 State Budget Legislation, , , 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-regulationsboard school-finance school-leaders
New Provisions Passed In 2019-20 State Budget Legislation, , 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-managementschool-finance school-leaders school-operations
New York State Alternative Assessment (NYSAA), , academics-testing special-educationeducators school-leaders
New York State Charter Schools Act of 1998 (as amended), , 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-regulationspolicy-advocacy school-leaders school-operations
NY Charter Authorizers Guidance And Communications, covid-19-eoegschool-leaders school-operations
NYC Charter School Lotteries: Frequently Asked QuestionsThis one-page overview of New York City charter school enrollment lotteries answers frequently asked questions, including: How do the the lotteries work? Are they fair? …student-enrollment-recruitmentstudents-families
NYC Charter School Operations Calendar, , 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-managementfounding-teams school-leaders school-operations
NYC DOE Guidance And Communications For Schools, covid-19-eoegschool-leaders school-operations
NYC DOE Special Education Guidance, covid-19-eoegschool-leaders school-operations
NYC School Construction Authority (SCA) Manuals, The NYCSCA has established this Safety Program & Procedures Manual, herein after called “SCA Safety Manual” in order to guide and direct the management, staff, …facilities operations-managementschool-operations
NYSED Guidance And Communications, covid-19-eoegschool-leaders school-operations
NYSTL Purchasing in FAMIS, , 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-managementschool-finance school-operations
Operations Brief: Frequently Asked Questions about the New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), , , 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-managementboard school-leaders
Operations Guide Exemplar, 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-managementschool-operations
Operations Management: Navigating City and State Systems, 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-managementschool-operations
Operations Resource Guide, , 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-managementschool-leaders school-operations
OPT Request for Service Procedure, 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-transportationschool-operations
Parent Engagement Handbook, 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-engagementpolicy-advocacy students-families
Recruiting and Hiring Effective Teachers
Rent Lawsuit Dismissed, , facilities laws-regulationsboard school-leaders
Resources for Familiescovid-19-remote-learningstudents-families
Sample Board Minutes, , , 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-developmentboard founding-teams school-leaders
Sample Board Prospectus for a Proposed Charter School, , leadership-governance new-school-developmentboard founding-teams
Sample Data Dashboard, A Data Dashboard is an essential tool for all charter schools.  It enables school leaders to instantly check a variety of metrics and assess where …academics-testing leadership-governanceschool-leaders
School Funding Comparisons by the NYC Independent Budget Office (IBO) (2010-11), financial-managementpolicy-advocacy school-finance
Special Education And Mll/Ell Resourcescovid-19-remote-learningeducators
SPED: ATS Special Education Reports, , 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-educationeducators school-operations
SPED: CSE and Compliance, 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-educationschool-leaders school-operations
SPED: Regulations and Procedures, , 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-educationeducators school-leaders
Staff Handbook, , , , 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-managementschool-hr school-leaders school-operations
Student Recruitment: Enrollment Best Practices, , 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-recruitmentschool-operations students-families
Students in Temporary Housing: Students’ Rights and Schools’ Responsibilities, , , , , , The McKinney-Vento Act gives important educational rights to students who are homeless, or in unstable or temporary housing. The Charter Center hosted a free workshop, …laws-regulations new-school-development student-enrollment-recruitmentfounding-teams policy-advocacy school-leaders school-operations students-families
Teacher Certification Resources, , 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-regulationsschool-hr school-operations
Technology Resources & Tipscovid-19-remote-learningeducators
The Facility Access Process: Co-Location and Private Space, , , , 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-regulationsboard founding-teams school-finance school-leaders
The Pupil Accounting Handbook, 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-recruitmentschool-operations
Understanding Your School Food Options, , , 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-transportationboard founding-teams school-operations
US DOE Guidance And Communications, covid-19-eoegschool-leaders school-operations
What are Charters Schools – Resourceseducators
Working Papers for Students, 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-managementschool-operations
Working with the Administration for Child Services (ACS), 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-managementschool-operations