Authorization and purpose.

(1) Charter schools and innovation zone schools shall be part of the state’s program of public education.

(2) A charter school may be established by creating a new school within an existing public school or converting an existing public school to charter status.

(3) The purpose of a charter school or an innovation zone school established pursuant to this chapter shall be to accomplish the following:

(3) (a) Improve student learning.

(3) (b) Increase learning opportunities for students.

(3) (c) Encourage the use of different and innovative methods of teaching.

(3) (d) Require the measurement of learning outcomes and create different and innovative forms of measuring outcomes.

(3) (e) Establish new forms of accountability for schools.

(3) (f) Create new professional opportunities for teachers and other educators, including the opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the school site.

(3) (g) Create different organizational structures for continuous learner progress.

(3) (h) Allow greater flexibility to meet the education needs of a diverse and constantly changing student population.

(3) (i) Allow for the allocation of resources in innovative ways through implementation of specialized school budgets for the benefit of the schools served.

(4) An innovation zone school may be established pursuant to this chapter to encourage diverse approaches to learning and education within individual schools.

2002 Acts, ch 1124, §1, 16; 2003 Acts, ch 79, §7, 8; 2010 Acts, ch 1001, §2 – 5