The school year kicks off next week for most public schools. But at many private institutions, including charter schools, the school year is already underway.

Setting their own calendar is just one of the differences between charter and public schools.

Monday marked the first day of class at American YouthWorks, one of more than 200 charter schools in Texas. Charter schools were first established in 1996 primarily to help at-risk students.

"I was on the verge of dropping out of my traditional high school," says Carmen Rodriguez. She credits American YouthWorks with helping her turn her life around. This is her last week to work as a receptionist at the school. Soon she'll be attending the University of Texas. Rodriguez says, "I'll be majoring in social work and political science. And ultimately, I would like to get into education reform."

But academic charter school success stories like Carmen's are often overshadowed. Many have had their statuses revoked by the Texas Education Agency, often due to financial mismanagement.

Also, test scores are generally lower than those at public schools.

However, counselor Jaime Krause says test scores don't always provide an accurate reflection of a charter school's performance. "Often times we'll get a student a month before TAKS testing and we haven't had all year to prepare them," says Krause

Preparation for testing comes through creative teaching like this environmental class conducted outdoors. For charter schools teaching out of the box helps reach students who might otherwise be lost.

"If your immediate needs aren't being met, your safety needs, your food, and all that stuff you can't sit in a classroom and learn. It's impossible," says Krause.

In Texas, only about 2 percent of the student population attends a charter school. For more information about charter schools here's the website: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/charter/