Fueled by an active business community, frustrated parents, reform-minded local legislators, dedicated entrepreneurs (and some assistance from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation), charter schools have flourished in Dayton, Ohio, which some term "ground zero" of the national charter movement. But the next few years are critical to the evolution of the city's (and nation's) education landscape, as many of the city's 19 charter schools-which have proven popular with parents but have not yet produced higher test scores-undergo a state-mandated five-year review. For details see "Charter schools' first checkup pivotal point," by Scott Elliott, Dayton Daily News, July 29, 2002
