Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the restructuring efforts in school governance, curriculum, and delivery of curriculum in select secondary schools that have been approved as charter schools through California Senate Bill 1448. It also describes the perceptions of some of the charter school members (administrators, teachers, parents, students, and community members) as to how well the charter functions in the areas of school governance, curriculum, and curriculum delivery. Methodology. Using descriptive research to answer four research questions, the researcher collected data for this study through the use of telephone interviews and surveys. The data provided information regarding school governance, curriculum, curriculum implementation, and charter school members' perceptions of the school in these areas. Findings. The four schools involved in the case study were structured very differently, from departmentalized block schedules to independent learning in small groups or by use of computers. The governance organizations were generally site based with some commonalties in the make up of the teams. The governance process was significantly different from traditional schools. The curriculum and graduation requirements paralleled the traditional high schools and the graduation requirements set in SB813. Some of the schools did set higher standards by increasing the number of required courses. The flexibility of having the charter and the application process requiring staff to buy in to the program are probably the most significant motivators in implementing the changes addressed in this study. Community member responses in relationship to their feelings about their charter varied according to the specific school and the specific question. Conclusions and recommendations. The actual changes identified in the four schools in the areas of governance, curriculum, and curriculum implementation for the most part could be incorporated into a traditional high school. Four recommendations for charter high schools should be considered: research to continue on a statewide basis, complete a study using assessment tools to increase data on student success, compare California charter high schools with other schools outside the state in the areas of this study, and compare with recently restructured schools outside of the charter bill program.