About the NC ACCESS PRogram
The North Carolina Office of Charter Schools is currently implementing the North Carolina Advancing Charter Collaboration and Excellence for Student Success (NC ACCESS) Program through a $36.6 million Public Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant from the U.S. Department of Education to:
Award 60 school-level subgrants to increase the number of educationally disadvantaged students attending high-quality charter schools;
Create a cohort of 160 charter school leaders who can develop and demonstrate best practices in serving educationally disadvantaged students; and
Broadly disseminate best practices in serving educationally disadvantaged students and foster collaboration in the charter school community and between charter schools and traditional public schools.
$36 million.
60 excellent schools.
160 Transformational leaders.
what is the charter schools program (csp)?
The CSP State Entities program is authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (20 U.S.C. 7221-7221j). Prior to enactment of the ESSA, the ESEA, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), authorized the Secretary to make awards to state educational agencies to enable them to conduct charter school subgrant programs in their states. The CSP State Entities program is under new law and has different eligibility requirements, priorities, definitions, application requirements, and selection criteria.
The major purposes of the CSP are to expand opportunities for all students, particularly traditionally underserved students, to attend charter schools and meet challenging state academic standards; provide financial assistance for the planning, program design, and initial implementation of public charter schools; increase the number of high-quality charter schools available to students across the United States; evaluate the impact of charter schools on student achievement, families, and communities; share best practices between charter schools and other public schools; encourage states to provide facilities support to charter schools; and support efforts to strengthen the charter school authorizing process.
The CSP grants to state entities (CFDA number 84.282A) is a competitive grant program that enables state entities to award subgrants to eligible applicants in their State to open and prepare for the operation of new charter schools and to replicate and expand high-quality charter schools. Grant funds may also be used by the state entity to provide technical assistance to eligible applicants and authorized public chartering agencies in opening and preparing for the operation of new charter schools, or replicating or expanding high-quality charter schools; and to work with authorized public chartering agencies to improve authorizing quality, including developing capacity for, and conducting, fiscal oversight and auditing of charter schools.
Explore the NC ACCESS Program
SUBGRANT PROGRAM
Apply for up to $1.25 million
Eligible applicants can receive start-up funding to support the planning, implementation, expansion, and replication of high-quality charter schools.
LEADERSHIP
supporting school leaders
The ACCESS Program will train and support 160 Fellows who are developing and demonstrating best practices for serving educationally disadvantaged students.
DISSEMINATION
sharing best practices
We are creating a database of best practices being implemented at ACCESS subgrant schools. Search for strategies and best practices to implement at your school.
Still have questions? We’d love to talk about how the program can support you!