Charter schools in Georgia and parent involvement in these schools

The purpose of this study was to examine charter schools in Georgia and look at the types of charter schools operating in the state and the history of these schools. Data on schools operating as charters in the state from 1995 to 2005 was compiled. The data show the changes in the types of charter schools from only conversion schools to start-up and state charters. The data show the number of charter schools in the state is small, and charter schools have not remained open or renewed charter status. For this reason the study also examined parent involvement in charter schools to determine if this involvement correlated to the length of time a charter school was open. Schools operating in the 2004-2005 school year were surveyed on the types of parent involvement and the percent of parents who participated in these types. The responses were correlated to the length of time a school was in charter status. The data did not show a statistically significant correlation between parent involvement and the longevity of a charter school. The study did not examine curriculum, instructional delivery, school organization; research of these factors may provide a correlation to longevity.