Accessing Federal Programs: A Guidebook for Charter School Operators and Developers

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) funds and administers education programs for a variety of purposes and recognizes and rewards excellence and improvement by students, schools, and communities. As publicly funded schools, charter schools are eligible to apply for federal formula grants as well as discretionary grants administered by various ED program offices. These represent a large and important source of federal support for charter schools. This guidebook provides basic information about accessing the range of federal programs and resources available to charter schools. Its primary purpose is to provide brief and helpful guidance so that charter school operators and developers can identify and access funds available to qualifying public districts and schools. The guidebook is organized into three chapters. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of ED, the Charter School Programs (CSP), and the federal funding process. Chapter 2 contains a matrix that introduces the 25 selected federal programs, followed by in-depth profiles and contact information for each of these programs. Chapter 3 includes contact information for federally funded technical assistance providers and other resources, as well as for state department of education and state charter support organizations. [For the 2018 version of this guidebook, see ED591967.]