Title: A resolution congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of charter schools across the United States for making ongoing contributions to education, and supporting the ideals and goals of the 22nd annual National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 9 through May 15, 2021.
Policy area: Education

Summary:
This resolution congratulates the students, families, teachers, administrators, and staff of public charter schools across the United States for (1) making ongoing contributions to public education, (2) making impressive strides in closing the academic achievement gap in U.S. schools, and (3) improving and strengthening the public school system.
The resolution supports the ideals and goals of the 22nd annual National Charter Schools Week.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 230 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 230

Congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of charter 
 schools across the United States for making ongoing contributions to 
   education, and supporting the ideals and goals of the 22nd annual 
 National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 9 through May 15, 2021.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 24, 2021

Mr. Scott of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. 
Braun, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Cruz, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Scott of 
Florida, Mr. Young, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Tillis, 
  Mr. Toomey, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Booker, Mr. Rubio, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. 
    Carper, Mr. Hagerty, and Mr. McConnell) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Congratulating the students, parents, teachers, and leaders of charter 
 schools across the United States for making ongoing contributions to 
   education, and supporting the ideals and goals of the 22nd annual 
 National Charter Schools Week, to be held May 9 through May 15, 2021.

Whereas charter schools are public schools that do not charge tuition and enroll 
        any student who wants to attend, often through a random lottery when the 
        demand for enrollment is outmatched by the supply of available charter 
        school seats;
Whereas high-performing public charter schools deliver a high-quality public 
        education and challenge all students to reach their potential for 
        academic success;
Whereas public charter schools promote innovation and excellence in public 
        education;
Whereas public charter schools throughout the United States provide millions of 
        families with diverse and innovative educational options for the 
        children of those families;
Whereas high-performing public charter schools and charter management 
        organizations are increasing student achievement and attendance rates at 
        institutions of higher education;
Whereas public charter schools are authorized by a designated entity and--

    (1) respond to the needs of communities, families, and students in the 
United States; and

    (2) promote the principles of quality, accountability, choice, high-
performance, and innovation;

Whereas, in exchange for flexibility and autonomy, public charter schools are 
        held accountable by the authorizers of the charter schools for improving 
        student achievement and for sound financial and operational management;
Whereas public charter schools are required to meet the student achievement 
        accountability requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) in the same manner as traditional 
        public schools;
Whereas public charter schools often set higher expectations for students, 
        beyond the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), to ensure that the charter schools are of 
        high quality and truly accountable to the public;
Whereas 44 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico have public 
        charter schools;
Whereas, as of the 2018-2019 school year, more than 7,500 public charter schools 
        served approximately 3,300,000 children;
Whereas enrollment in public charter schools grew from 400,000 students in 2001 
        to 3,300,000 students in 2019, a more than eightfold increase in 18 
        years;
Whereas in the United States--

    (1) in 241 school districts, more than 10 percent of public school 
students are enrolled in public charter schools; and

    (2) in at least 29 school districts, at least 30 percent of public 
school students are enrolled in public charter schools;

Whereas public charter schools improve the achievement of students enrolled in 
        the charter schools and collaborate with traditional public schools to 
        improve public education for all students;
Whereas public charter schools--

    (1) give parents the freedom to choose public schools;

    (2) routinely measure parental satisfaction levels; and

    (3) must prove the ongoing success of the charter schools to parents, 
policymakers, and the communities served by the charter schools or risk 
closure;

Whereas a 2015 report from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at 
        Stanford University found significant improvements for students at urban 
        charter schools, and, when compared to peers in traditional public 
        schools, each year those students completed the equivalent of 28 more 
        days of learning in reading and 40 more days of learning in math;
Whereas a 2020 study from the Program on Education Policy and Governance at 
        Harvard University found greater academic gains for students in charter 
        schools than for students in traditional public schools who took the 
        reading and math assessments administered by the National Assessment of 
        Educational Progress (NAEP) in fourth and eighth grade between 2005 and 
        2017, and African American and low-income students attending charter 
        schools were almost 6 months ahead of their peers in reading and math 
        compared with students in traditional public schools over the 12-year 
        span of the study;
Whereas parental demand for charter schools is high, and there was nearly 5 
        percent growth in charter school enrollment between the 2017-2018 and 
        2018-2019 school years; and
Whereas the 22nd annual National Charter Schools Week is scheduled to be 
        celebrated the week of May 9 through May 15, 2021: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) congratulates the students, families, teachers, 
        leaders, and staff of public charter schools across the United 
        States for--
                    (A) making ongoing contributions to public 
                education;
                    (B) making impressive strides in closing the 
                academic achievement gap in schools in the United 
                States, particularly in schools with some of the most 
                disadvantaged students in both rural and urban 
                communities; and
                    (C) improving and strengthening the public school 
                system throughout the United States;
            (2) supports the ideals and goals of the 22nd annual 
        National Charter Schools Week, a week-long celebration to be 
        held May 9 through May 15, 2021, in communities throughout the 
        United States; and
            (3) encourages the people of the United States to hold 
        appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities during 
        National Charter Schools Week to demonstrate support for public 
        charter schools.
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