Charter schools were created to provide opportunities for teachers, parents, students and community members to establish and maintain schools that operate independently from the existing school district structure as a method to accomplish the following: improve student learning; increase learning opportunities for all students; encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods; create new professional opportunities for teachers; provide parents and students with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system; and be accountable for meeting measurable academic standards. Charter schools are exempt from many educational mandates. Some of the mandates that charter schools are not exempt from include health and safety, special education, civil rights, student accountability, employee criminal history checks, open meetings, freedom of information requirements, generally accepted accounting principles, and certain provisions of the Pennsylvania School Code.
Both local school boards and PDE are independently granted authority to review and act upon applications for the establishment of charter schools, to oversee and regulate charter schools, and to revoke, renew or not renew charters.
Schools that operate under a charter are divided into three general categories—charter schools, regional charter schools, and cyber charter schools. Both charter schools and regional charter schools (collectively referred to as "charter schools") are independent public schools established and operated under a charter from the local school board and in which students are enrolled or attend. These schools are commonly referred to as "brick-and-mortar" charter schools and focus on teacher-led discussion and teacher knowledge imparted to students through face-to-face interaction at the schools' physical facilities located within the boundaries of the school district that granted the charter. A cyber charter school is an independent public school established and operated under a charter from PDE and in which the school uses technology in order to provide a significant portion of curriculum and to deliver a significant portion of instruction to its students through the internet or other electronic means without a school-established requirement that students be present at a supervised physical facility designated by the school, except on a very limited basis, such as for standardized test.
Charter schools and cyber charter schools must be organized as public, nonprofit corporations.
Charter School Enrollment Notification (PDF) - This form is used for notification of a student attending a charter school.
Basic Education Circulars (BECs)
Frequently Asked Questions: Cyber Charter Schools and the Use of Physical Facilities
No; the letter sent to all cyber charter schools on August 18, 2015 was not sent for the purpose of closing or revoking the charter of any cyber charter school.
This letter was sent to all cyber charter schools reminding them of the appropriate uses of physical facilities by cyber charters as set forth in Pennsylvania law governing cyber charter schools.  In addition, PDE issued specific guidance on the issue of cyber charter schools use of physical locations in a Basic Education Circular issued in July 2013 (the BEC). The letter was sent following complaints from several school districts that some cyber schools were using physical facilities in the education of their students beyond the scope of the cyber charter laws, PDE guidance, and their own charters.
Cyber charter schools may use physical locations ONLY for (1) standardized testing and or/other testing; (2) tutoring; and (3) supplemental services related to special education, such as speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy. Students may be at physical locations only for the time needed to participate in these services and activities.
No, the August Letter does NOT describe any new mandate or directive from PDE to cyber charters regarding permitted use of physical facilities. The August Letter reminds cyber schools of the guidance originally set forth in state law and in the BEC
As noted in the BEC, a cyber-charter school is a charter school authorized by PDE pursuant to statute to "offer a structured education program in which the school utilizes technology in order to provide a significant portion of its curriculum and instruction through the Internet or other electronic means without a school-established requirement that the student be present at a supervised physical facility designated by the school, except on a very limited basis, such as for standardized tests."
A non-cyber charter school, sometimes called a brick-and-mortar charter, is physically located within the boundaries of a school district and the local school board (or School Reform Commission in Philadelphia) grants the charter to the charter school's board of trustees to operate a public charter school. The charter is an agreement between the school district and an incorporated entity, known as a charter school. As noted in the BEC, brick and mortar charter schools "focus on teacher-led discussion and teacher knowledge imparted to students through face-to-face interaction at the schools' physical facilities.
As noted above, a cyber charter school is a charter school that provides instruction through the internet or other digital means. PDE is responsible for the oversight of cyber charter schools which includes approval of the initial charter.
Face-to-face instruction on a regular basis is a feature of a brick and mortar charter school and specifically NOT a feature of a cyber-charter school.
PDE has NOT told any cyber charter that the cyber charter may not operate physical learning centers. In the August Letter and in the BEC, PDE reminded cyber charters of the proper use of physical locations by cyber-charter schools, e.g., for tutoring, for testing, or for supplemental services for special education students.
PDE supports many successful blended learning programs. However, the "blended learning" program offered by some cyber-charter schools are not authorized by the cyber charter law, or PDE guidance.
Yes, but since cyber-charter schools are to provide a significant portion of their curriculum and instruction through the internet or other electronic means without the need for students to be present at any physical facility, the appropriate strategy for a charter school to offer blended learning is to seek authorization for a brick-and-mortar charter school from a school district.
Cyber-charter schools have been told about the limitation on the use of physical facilities for a number of years, including through the BEC issued in 2013. Additionally, PDE advises new cyber charter school applicants of the limitations on the use of physical facilities.