The New Hampshire Department of Education Receives 11.6 Million in Federal Charter Start Up Money

Commissioner Virginia Barry announced today that the New Hampshire Department of Education (NH DOE) will receive the full 11.6 million dollars in Federal Charter Start up money. While the Department was notified that they received the money, they were not told initially how much money was awarded. On September 28, 2010 they learned that the full request had been granted for the full funding period of five years. Commissioner Barry said that as she visits schools and speaks with educators, she has been encouraged by the innovative ideas she hears. The attention to strong standards delivered in multiple settings has been the hallmark of her initial conversations with educators. The Department is sponsoring an “open conversation” about the Charter Start up grant on October 19, 2010 from 1:00 p.m.-3:00 at the NH DOE. All are welcome to attend and join in the conversation.

The grant objectives are:

• Offer districts the opportunity to create charter schools within their district to promote innovative practices.
• Use federal grant funds to improve student achievement in secondary charter schools and increase graduation rates.
• Support the dissemination of best practices developed in charter schools to other public schools and districts in the state.
• Empower charter schools to become strong, independent organizations, while ensuring fiscally responsible practices.
• Increase the number of high-quality charter schools in New Hampshire, particularly those serving educationally disadvantaged students who are most at risk in rural and urban settings.
  

Commissioner Barry said, “This grant will help the department advance its strategic goals of providing necessary support to struggling schools, help efforts to improve teacher and leader effectiveness, strengthen school standards and assessments, and promote the use of performance data to drive school decisions.” Barry went on to say, “We are grateful for the opportunities that this substantial grant will provide for the department to support innovation in New Hampshire education.”

• Charter Schools

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