ABSTRACT
Charter schools have been one of the most signifi cant developments in U.S. education over the last fi fteen years. Since the fi rst charter school program was introduced in Minnesota in 1991, 40 states and the District of Columbia have adopted charter school legislation. According to one charter school advocacy group, 3,977 charter schools serving roughly 1,150,000 students were open as of October, 2006.1 Although, only about 2 percent of students nationwide are enrolled in charter schools, the percentage enrolled in some urban areas is much higher.
