d.c. association of chartered public schools

What d.c. association of chartered public schools does

The D.C. Association of Chartered Public Schools (DCACPS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade association founded in May 2004 by charter school founders and leaders in the District of Columbia. The organization serves as the officially recognized collective voice of all chartered public school leaders in Washington, DC, and represents a member base spanning approximately 44,000 students across the city's charter sector — roughly 46% of total DC public school enrollment as of the 2016-2017 school year. Its core product is not a single offering but a portfolio of membership services: (1) policy and advocacy through structured convenings with the State Superintendent of Education, the Public Charter School Board, and Executive and Legislative branch officials; (2) school quality initiatives focused on continuous improvement in teaching, governance, and advocacy relationships; (3) public engagement programs designed to build community support for charter schools; and (4) member services anchored by a Group Purchasing program that negotiates deep discounts on essential products and services. The organization also operates the annual STARS Tribute, a recognition program that includes a Most Outstanding High School Graduate competition with a cash prize.

DCACPS generates revenue primarily through membership dues and indirect monetization of its group purchasing program; no specific revenue figure is publicly disclosed and pricing is quote-based. The organization has pursued high-profile public advocacy, including a lawsuit filed against the District of Columbia government (alongside Eagle Academy PCS and Washington Latin PCS) alleging $770 million in cumulative charter school underfunding since fiscal year 2008, with each charter student underfunded by $1,600-$2,600 annually. Leadership has been stable under Executive Director Dr. Ramona Hoage Edelin since 2006; the Board of Directors comprises founders and executives of major DC charter schools plus external advisors (including a Brookings Senior Fellow and the DC Regional Executive of John Marshall Bank). There is no parent company, no private equity or venture capital ownership, no M&A history, and no disclosed headcount, consistent with a lean nonprofit operating model focused on advocacy, convening, and member relations rather than scaled product or technology delivery.

Name

d.c. association of chartered public schools

Legal name

DC Association of Chartered Public Schools

Website

https://dcacps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Short description

DC Association of Chartered Public Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade association founded in 2004 that serves as the collective voice and advocacy body for all chartered public schools in Washington, DC, delivering policy convenings, member services, and group purchasing benefits to approximately 60+ member schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Association / Nonprofit Sectoral Advocacy

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

Keywords

• Charter school advocacy
• Membership association services
• Education policy advocacy
• Group purchasing programs
• School quality initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Group Purchasing: The association generates revenue through membership services including group purchasing benefits that yield deep discounts on essential products and services for member charter schools.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The DC Association of Chartered Public Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association that serves as the collective voice of DC's chartered public school leaders. It delivers four primary service areas — Policy and Advocacy (convenings with DC education officials and funding-equity litigation), School Quality Initiatives (continuous improvement programming), Public Engagement (image and support building for charter schools), and Member Services anchored by Group Purchasing Benefits that yield deep discounts on essential products and services for member schools. It also operates the annual STARS Tribute recognition program.

Product overview

The DC Association of Chartered Public Schools is a nonprofit membership organization (501(c)(3)) launched in May 2004 that serves as the collective voice of DC's Chartered Public Schools. Rather than a unified software product, it offers a portfolio of services including Policy and Advocacy (convenings with government officials), School Quality Initiatives (continuous improvement programs), Public Engagement (image and support building), and Member Services (group purchasing benefits). The organization also runs the annual STARS Tribute program to recognize exemplary individuals in member schools. In the 2016-2017 school year, member schools enrolled 41,677 students (46% of total public school enrollment).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy and Advocacy Official convenings of DC Charter School Leaders with the State Superintendent of Education, Public Charter School Board members, and DC Executive and Legislative officials; represents the sector in regulatory and legislative matters, including the DC public charter schools funding lawsuit.
• School Quality Initiatives Programs designed to build cultures of continuous improvement in teaching and learning, governance, and advocacy relationships across DC charter schools.
• Public Engagement Efforts to improve the image of and build public support for chartered public schools in Washington, DC and nationally.
• Member Services / Group Purchasing Benefits Member services anchored by substantial Group Purchasing Opportunities that yield deep discounts on essential products and services for member charter schools through collective buying power.
• STARS Tribute Annual recognition program celebrating exemplary students, parents, teachers, principals, and alumni who embody the vision and mission of member schools, featuring the 'Most Outstanding High School Graduate' competition with a cash prize.

Quantifiable outcome

• Public charter school graduation rate exceeds DCPS rate by 21 percentage points
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• State Superintendent of EducationcoreOthersOfficial convenings of Charter School Leaders with the State Superintendent of Education to discuss policy and advocacy matters.
• Public Charter School BoardcoreOthersOfficial convenings of Charter School Leaders with Public Charter School Board's Board Members and selected staff.
• National Alliance for Public Charter SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDC's official representative participates in the State Leaders Council of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
• Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal counsel for the lawsuit filed by DCACPS and member schools against the District of Columbia government regarding equitable funding.
• The Marcus Firm PLLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal counsel for the lawsuit filed by DCACPS and member schools against the District of Columbia government regarding equitable funding.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Alliance for Public Charter Schools: National membership and advocacy organization for the U.S. public charter school movement. Directly comparable to DCACPS as a peer advocacy/trade body, but operating at a national rather than single-jurisdiction scope; also a current DCACPS partner.

Direct peers

• California Charter Schools Association: State-level membership association representing California's charter public schools through advocacy, policy work, and member services. The closest analog to DCACPS in mission, structure, and revenue model (dues + group purchasing + advocacy).
• New York City Charter School Center: Membership/advocacy organization supporting NYC charter schools with policy, operational resources, and convenings. Directly comparable to DCACPS in serving as the unified voice for charter school leaders within a single city/state.
• Florida Charter School Alliance: Statewide membership association advocating for Florida's charter schools through policy, communications, and member services. Closely mirrors DCACPS's state-level advocacy, dues-funded model, and group-services orientation.
• Colorado League of Charter Schools: Colorado's charter school membership association providing advocacy, training, and shared services to member schools. Comparable to DCACPS in operating as a dues-funded, single-state charter advocacy body.

Emerging players

• Charter School Growth Fund: Philanthropic fund focused on growing high-quality charter schools across multiple states. Adjacent peer that operates in the charter advocacy/sector-building space, complementing DCACPS rather than competing directly.

Others

• National Association of Charter School Authorizers: Membership association for the entities that authorize and oversee charter schools. Adjacent to DCACPS — both sit in the DC charter ecosystem (e.g., DCACPS regularly convenes with the Public Charter School Board), but NACSA represents regulators rather than schools.
• DC Public Schools (DCPS): The traditional public school district that DCACPS's member charter schools compete with for students and funding. Relevant because DCACPS's advocacy is fundamentally framed around DCPS comparison metrics (graduation rates, per-pupil funding).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dc-association-of-chartered-public-schools

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about d.c. association of chartered public schools