Charter schools are non-sectarian, public schools operating with a contract - or charter - from the State Board of Education. They are usually established by parents and educators seeking alternatives within the public school system. Charter schools are free, open to all, responsive to student and parent needs, and accountable to the State Board for achieving the standards outlined in the school's charter.                                           
                                                                        Source: U.S. Department of Education

As a charter school, ISAAC operates independently of any elected school board and receives funds from the State Board of Education based on the number of students enrolled. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools are schools of choice. No one is assigned to them—parents, students and teachers actively select them. ISAAC is required to accept any student who applies based on space available and based on the public school population in the town from which they come.  There is no tuition.

Charter schools in Connecticut are rigorously assessed by the state and are held accountable for reaching performance goals on the Connecticut Mastery tests as are all public schools.

Charter schools are given the freedom to create their own educational program, hire teachers and evaluate and assess the achievement of each student.  However, charter schools in Connecticut are rigorously assessed by the state and are held accountable for reaching performance goals on the Connecticut Mastery tests as are all public schools.
 
In a study of Connecticut’s charter schools by Western Michigan University, it was reported that students in Connecticut’s charter schools started out below average on statewide tests and are now outperforming public school students in the towns where they are located.  Although only 13 charter schools are operating in Connecticut, their small size, allowing teachers and administrators to give students more personalized attention, and strict standards make them “among the very best in the country.”  “The results we obtained for Connecticut are clearly the most substantial and the most positive that we have found in terms of student achievement gains made by charter schools.”