What is CHIME?

CHIME was started as a model demonstration project funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Originally, it was known as the Children's Center Handicapped Integration Model Educational (CCHIME) Project and its goal was to develop an effective model for providing special educational services at an existing child development program. The CCHIME Project was housed at the Associated Students/Children's Center at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), and funded for a three-year period from October 1987 through September 1990. 

The CHIME Institute was established by Claire Cavallaro and Michele Haney, professors of in the Special Education Program at the CSUN College of Education, as a private nonprofit corporation in August 1990 to continue the work of the CCHIME Project using local funds. Its Preschool Inclusion Program was started at that time serving children from 3 to 6 years of age at the campus of California State University, Northridge. The CHIME Infant and Toddler Program established in 1991, serves children from birth through age 3 and their families. The CHIME Charter Elementary School was established in fall 2001 and serves children from kindergarten through 5th grade. The CHIME Charter Middle School opened fall 2003 serving students in 6th to 8th grade in fall 2004. The CHIME Institute is overseen by a Board of Directors comprised of CSUN faculty, parents, and community members. In 2010, the elementary and middle schools were combined into one K-8 model and renamed CHIME Institute's Schwarzenegger Community School.

What is the Need for CHIME Educational Programs?

Demonstration sites where best educational practices in early intervention and inclusive learning communities of students, with some students in each class receiving special education services alongside their typically developing and gifted peers, are needed for further research and training. 

What is unique about the CHIME Infant and Toddler Programs?

The program is unique in its provision of transdisciplinary; developmentally appropriate early intervention programs in community and home settings.  A team of professional staff including credentialed early intervention specialists (special education teachers), speech and language pathologist and physical therapist provide multidisciplinary assessment, program planning, and evaluation. 

What is unique about the CHIME Preschool Inclusion Program?

The CHIME Preschool and Kindergarten Inclusion Program is unique in its provision of a transdisciplinary, developmentally appropriate program, special education services and support for inclusion in a general education setting.  The program operates at the CSUN Child and Family Studies Center, a demonstration and research site. 

What is unique about the CHIME Institute's Schwarzenegger Community School?

Chime Institute's Schwarzenegger Community School is a multi-cultural school dedicated to meeting and exceeding California content standards by emphasizing each students’ strengths and accommodating different learning needs. We are an inclusive community with fully credentialed teachers and a collaborative approach which teams parents, teachers, CSUN faculty and CSUN students to best meet the needs of all students in the general education environment. 

What is a charter school?

A charter school is a tuition free, nonsectarian public school of choice that operates independently, with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" establishing each such school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. A charter school is usually able to hire its own staff but can be closed for failure to meet its promises regarding student performance or for financial mismanagement.   

What are charter schools like?

Charter schools are public schools of choice, meaning teachers and students choose them, and are very diverse. They operate with freedom from many regulations that apply to traditional public schools: some emphasize college prep; others feature science, technology or performing arts. 

Charter schools generally offer teachers, families, and students more authority to make decisions than most traditional public schools. Instead of being accountable for compliance with rules and regulations, they are accountable for academic results and for upholding their charter.  

The inclusion programs at CHIME Charter Schools use a co-teaching model between general and special education teachers that not only meet the learning needs of students with disabilities, but also provide for richer and more active learning experiences for typically developing and gifted students.  At the heart of our community culture is academic excellence paired with understanding and tolerance of diversity and the development of social consciousness.  Our schools are proof that students from any background can succeed as long as they have a committed teaching staff that is empowered to make a difference for the students they serve.” 

Who authorizes charter schools?

This varies from state to state, depending on the state’s charter law. In California there are three types of authorizers: the governing board of the school districts, county boards of education, or the state board. Generally there are four types of entities allowed to authorize charter schools: the local school board, state universities, community colleges, and the state board of education. 

The CHIME Charter Elementary School was last approved by the LAUSD Board of Education in 2006 for a five-year renewal.  The CHIME Charter Middle School was approved by the LAUSD Board of Education in July 2008 for a five-year renewal. CHIME Institute has now been successfully before the LAUSD Board four times in submitting charter petitions for approval. 

Are students in charter schools being well educated?

Research shows charter schools do a better job increasing student achievement than traditional public schools.  Charter schools are typically approved for periods from 3-5 years. At the end of the term, the entity granting the charter may renew the school's contract. Charter schools are accountable to their sponsor-usually a state or local school board-to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract. The basic concept of charter schools is that they exercise increased autonomy in return for this accountability. They are accountable for both academic results and fiscal practices to several groups: the sponsor that grants them, the parents who choose them, and the public that funds them. 

Charter schools are held accountable for the performance of their students on statewide standard tests and are ranked according to the Academic Performance Index (API).  Charter school students must also make adequate yearly progress (AYP), based on test scores, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). 

How are students selected to attend a charter school?

Charter schools are tuition free, nonsectarian, public schools and therefore cannot charge tuition or discriminate against any students based on ethnicity, national origin, and gender, religion, or disability.    

At CHIME charter schools, because the demand exceeds capacity, a public lottery is held in the spring for the upcoming year’s admission. 

How long has California had charter schools?

California was the second state in the nation to enact charter school legislation. Presently, there are 687 charter schools serving 240,000 charter school students in California and over the past 10 years, charter schools have consistently grown by an average of 50 schools a year.

The CHIME Elementary School was established in 2001 and the Middle School in 2003. 

Who can start a charter school?

Parents, community leaders, businesses, educators, school districts, and municipalities can submit a charter school proposal to their state's charter authorizing entity.  Nonprofit and for-profit organizations, universities, or other agencies may operate these schools.

The creation of a charter begins with a petition that contains 16 elements, including a description of the school structure, expectations for students’ performance and procedures for evaluation. A school community can decide to turn its regular public school into a charter.  These “conversion schools” make up about 30% of all charter schools in California.  “Start-up” charter schools are developed from scratch.   

The CHIME Elementary and Middle Charter Schools are “start-up” schools developed by a group of CSUN faculty, educators, and community members.  

Who attends charter schools? Whom do they serve?

Nationwide, students in charter schools have similar demographic characteristics to students in all public schools. In some states charter schools serve significantly higher percentages of minority or economically disadvantaged students than the traditional public schools. 

At  CHIME Charter Schools students from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds and a large geographical area (more than 30 different zip codes represented) are being served including 12% of English Language Learners at the Elementary School and 5% at the Middle School.   

How are charter schools funded?

As public schools, charters are not allowed to charge tuition, and they are funded according to enrollment on a per-pupil basis. In some states, such as Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, and New Jersey, they receive less than 100% of the funds allocated to their traditional counterparts for the operation of public schools. In other states, like California, additional funds or loans are made available to them. In most states, charters do not receive capital funds for facilities. They are entitled to federal categorical funding for which their students are eligible, such as Title I and Special Education monies. Federal legislation provides grants to help charters with start-up costs. 

Who governs charter schools?

Charter schools are required to consult regularly with parents and teachers about their educational program but vary widely as to a governing body.  An increasing number of charters are organized as or operated by nonprofit corporations with independent governing boards. 

CHIME Charter Schools are overseen by the CHIME Institute Board of Directors, composed of CSUN faculty, community members and parents. 

What about facilities for charter schools?

A school district must make facilities available for charter schools operating in the district and serving a minimum of 80 district students.  The space must be adequate to accommodate students.  In practice, many charter schools have yet to receive facilities from districts under these new laws, and facilities can be an extra burden for many charters. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of charter schools?

A growing body of research shows charter schools do a better job increasing student achievement than traditional public schools because they can be highly responsive to students needs.  However, most charter schools are new and relatively untested. 

Supporters say that charter schools expand families’ choices, encourage involvement from parents, and increase teacher satisfaction because they are allowed more freedom and creativity and have a say in the school’s operation.  Charter schools are generally smaller, less bureaucratic, and have more flexibility in meeting student needs. 

Critics say charter schools, which are sometimes governed by people with little experience in education, may not be properly monitored.  They point out that a few charters have failed, and that teachers in charters are more likely to be new to the profession.  In addition, if charter schools are smaller, they may not be able to offer the wider range of course selection and activities seen in traditional schools.

Each charter school is unique and therefore it is important for any family considering enrolling their child in a charter school to research the experience of the school leaders, the credentials and training of the teachers, the program and curriculum offered, and the school’s academic success including the dedication and enthusiasm for learning of its students.