Learning Point Associates, a nonprofit education research and consulting organization, has been awarded a five-year contract for Charter School Research and Technical Assistance by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement.
The first task under this umbrella contract is to establish the National Charter School Resource Center, which will provide services and support for the continued development of high-quality, effective charter schools. The charter school center brings together a range of partners with extensive experience both in addressing the unique management needs of the charter school community and in working more broadly with high-need districts and schools to substantially improve teaching and learning.
Steven M. Ross, Ph.D., scholar and policy analyst, has been appointed by Learning Point Associates as the project director. Dr. Ross will lead an exceptional collaborative - Learning Point Associates, Editorial Projects in Education (publishers of Education Week), American Institutes for Research, SRI International, Collaborative Communications, Public Impact, and Forum One - to manage the center.
With a focus on supporting innovative practices, the charter school center will offer a diverse array of services to address the needs of the many constituents of charter schools including state education agencies, charter holders, educators, families and communities. Working closely with the Office of Innovation and Improvement's Charter Schools Program, the charter school center will coordinate and conduct research; collect and analyze data; develop and disseminate research-based products; provide a wide range of technical assistance; and facilitate knowledge development and exchange among practitioners, administrators, and policymakers. The charter school center also will provide on-demand access to information through traditional and new media so that charter schools can confidently plan, implement, and maintain high-quality programs.
For more information, visit http://www.learningpt.org.
