With support from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Innovation and Improvement's National Charter School Program, the NGA Center and Center for School Change at the University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute (CSC) invited governors' offices to apply for $20,000 competitive technical assistance allocations to support up to six states in development, adoption and implementation of state policies that lead to more high quality charter schools.

The six states chosen were: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Nevada, New Mexico and New York.

• Summaries of state projects (6/2007)
• News Release: Six States Awarded Funding to Help Improve Quality of Public Charter Schools (5/15/2007)

State Leadership for High-Quality Charter Schools Cross-State Policy Institute (9/27/2007)
The NGA Center and CSC hosted the State Leadership for High-Quality Charter Schools Cross-State Policy Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Institute brought together state policymakers from the six project states to spark cross-state information exchange about the challenges of implementing charter schools and proposed policy solutions. Teams from each state included key stakeholders such as the governor’s education policy advisor, legislators, education department staff, charter authorizers, charter program administrators, charter association heads, and charter school leaders. At the Institute, charter school experts outlined recommended research-based state policy practices to increase the availability of high-quality charter schools. Sessions addressed topics such as financing and facilities for charter schools, charter school authorizing, and communicating options to parents. At the dinner session, leaders of two New Mexico charter schools, Amy Biehl Charter High School and South Valley Academy, shared their experiences establishing and running high-performing schools that serve students, families and communities effectively.