Charter public schools usually outperform neighborhood schools in graduation rates and standardized testing and they'll soon become an option in Rockford. But there's a lot the community needs to learn about the system. We headed to Chicago to find out how charter schools work.

"We want a charter school open in 2009," says Laurie Preece, of the Rockford Charter Schools Initiative.

Last Friday, a group of Rockford educators, community and business leaders bussed to the Windy City to learn about three charter schools: Chicago International Charter School, or cics; Youth Connection Leadership Academy, or ycla; and UNO.

The first key point is that charters are public schools in funding, governance and enrollment.

"A charter public school does not select students in any way. It is a public school of choice," says Preece.

There are no entrance exams, instead parents enter a lottery, providing only their child's age and address. Though admission is random, 84 percent of students come from low-income families and 94 percent are minorities. When the school fills up, students are placed on a waiting list.

Charters negotiate with the local school board to receive between 75 and 125 percent of the per-pupil state funding traditional public schools get. Then they can do with the money as they choose. For instance, many charters don't provide bussing and instead direct the money into classroom tools.

Technology is a key part of charter education. At CICS, every kindergarten through second grade classroom uses a computer program that teaches and evaluates reading skills at individual students' levels.

Charters are approved and monitored by the local school district and have to meet state standards. But a non-profit charter board decides the curriculum and tone of the school.

"The big selling part of charter schools is the autonomy. The autonomy to be able to be able to adjust to what kids and teachers need," says Beth Purvis, Executive Director of CICS.

Finally, charter school teachers are often, though not always, non-union. Non-union teachers give administrators more freedom in how they're held accountable.

"Every teacher has a goal, that 85 percent of their students will grow a year and a half in the course of a year," says UNO Master Teacher Tim Riff.

Teachers can be fired if their students do not succeed. By the same token, if a charter school does not achieve high-performing results, it can be shut down.

Continuing our special series, Monday's report will focus around why Charter schools get results, like high test scores and graduation rates and better discipline. Tuesday we'll tell you how charters could improve Rockford students' achievement. The district is accepting charter applications and leaders hope to have one up and running by 2009.