(a) The purpose of this chapter is to:

(1) Improve learning for all students and close the achievement gap between high and low students;

(2) Provide options for parents to meet educational needs of students;

(3) Encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods, and provide greater decision making authority to schools and teachers in exchange for greater responsibility for student performance;

(4) Measure performance of pupils and faculty, and ensure that children have the opportunity to reach proficiency on state academic assessments;

(5) Create new professional opportunities for teachers; and

(6) Afford parents substantial meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.

(b) It is the intention of this chapter to provide an alternative means within the public school system for ensuring accomplishment of the necessary outcomes of education by allowing the establishment and maintenance of public charter schools that operate within a school district structure but are allowed maximum flexibility to achieve their goals.

(c) It is the intent of this chapter to provide both the state department of education and local school systems with options relative to the governance and improvement of high priority schools failing to meet adequate yearly progress as outlined in both § 49-1-602 and the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 6301 et seq.).

(d) It is the intent of this chapter to provide the state department of education and local school systems with options relative to the delivery of instruction for those students with special needs as specified in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.).

(e) It is the intent of this chapter to provide local school systems the option to work in concert with the state's public higher education institutions to establish charter school “laboratories of teaching and learning” as a means of fostering educational innovations for implementation statewide.