Replication & Growth

Friends of Choice in Urban Schools (FOCUS) is now the DC Charter School Alliance!

Please visit www.dccharters.org to learn about our new organization and to see the latest news and information related to DC charter schools.

The FOCUS DC website is online to see historic information, but is not actively updated.

FOCUS supports local public charter schools that are high performing and that are beginning to think about growth. FOCUS consults with schools about the following components of growth planning:

  • Readiness to expand
  • Staffing and capacity
  • Board development
  • Facilities strategy
  • Enrollment strategy
  • Curriculum and instruction
  • Central office systems and structure

As part of this process, FOCUS conducts environmental scans focusing on the school’s performance, attrition and retention, projected growth, finances, and other outcomes as compared to similar and neighborhood schools, in order to assess the feasibility of replication or expansion. If the results of the scan are positive, FOCUS also provides application writing and program development help. For more information, please contact Anne Herr at aherr@focusdc.org.

FOCUS is also available to work with national charter management organizations (CMOs) that have proven ready to expand or replicate in DC.

In 2016 FOCUS offered the Replicating Quality Schools (RQS) program, initially developed by the New York City Charter School Center, to a cohort of high-quality local schools considering growth.   If you are interested in future cohorts, please contact Anne Herr at aherr@focusdc.org.