Nearly three-quarters of all charter schools in California belong to CCSA.
The California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) serves charter schools in the state. These are public, tuition-free learning institutions that have the freedom to offer specialized programs because they are independent of local school districts. California has 809 charter schools, the largest number of any state as of 2011. Seventy-two percent of charter schools statewide belong to CCSA.
Purpose
The California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), which calls itself the "public voice" for charter schools in the state, lobbies the legislature on behalf of its membership, collects data about student achievement and supports member schools by assisting them with technology and other resources. The association furthers the charter school movement by helping new schools open and holding existing schools accountable. CCSA also communicates news about charter schools to the public.
Structure
CCSA is headed by a management team consisting of a president/chief operating officer and senior vice presidents of statewide advocacy, government affairs and legal advocacy, among other tasks. Other top positions include the chief financial officer, vice president of development and various research analysts. Regional managers head up key areas such as Los Angeles, Fresno and San Diego. The association's board of directors is made up of education advocates statewide and a member council of representatives from the schools it serves.
Membership Benefits
CCSA sponsors an annual conference; it also publishes a monthly newsletter with information about upcoming grant opportunities and other awards, plus other charter school news. The association helps schools with emergency loans and lends money to schools that want to construct new facilities. Charter schools facing legal trouble are eligible to tap the association's Charter Schools Legal Defense Fund. Member schools can also obtain group health insurance through the association.
Accountability
Researchers from CCSA developed the Similar Students Measure (SSM), a method for measuring the academic achievement of its members by identifying excelling and underperforming schools. Schools that don't meet specific criteria are not permitted to renew their membership with the association. Each year, schools receive report cards that can be shared with teachers and parents.
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