Since 1991 approximately half of the states have enacted some form of charter school legislation. The details vary, but the programs share the basic goal of creating a limited number of schools where teachers can experiment with a variety of teaching techniques. Charter schools are created to be innovative and experimental. The classes offered might differ in substance from classes at other public schools, and the teachers may use new, alternative approaches to education. By virtue of their experimental nature, charter schools are highly individualistic.
Some schools focus on a particular area of study, such as the arts, computers, or the environment.
Others are designed for certain types of students, such as high school students who have dropped out before graduating. A board comprised of the teachers in the school and a few of the students' parents usually runs a charter school. The board makes its own decisions on site. Unlike other public schools, a charter school does not have to seek approval from the school district or school board before it can take action, so it can more easily try newer teaching methods, for example. Charter schools have a high degree of independence, but they are accountable for results.