The Charter Schools Institute assists the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (SUNY) in meeting its responsibilities under the New York State Charter Schools Act of 1998 and in furthering SUNY’s leading role in strengthening public education across the State. Guided by the Board of Trustees’ rigorous standards, the Institute: Recommends for charter approval only those schools that have a high likelihood of significantly improving student achievement, especially for students at risk of academic failure; Provides ongoing oversight of schools that centers on progress made by schools in improving student achievement, while also reviewing their organizational and fiscal performance; the Institute’s oversight serves as a catalyst for improvement, informs the public of each school’s performance, and protects the health and safety of students enrolled in each school; Vigorously respects, defends and advocates for each school’s independence and autonomy; Recommends renewal of only those charter schools that have shown they can improve student performance and operate in a fiscally and organizationally sound manner; and Strives to become a nationally recognized repository and disseminator of research, training and best practices for charter schools, public school choice and charter authorizing.