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District Copied Schools Strategy
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The similarities were first discovered by Carl Bergman, a former D.C. government deputy auditor. Bergman, who provided copies of his research to The Post and WAMU(88.5 FM), said he researched terms in Fenty's plan on the Internet because he was interested in some of the initiatives.
"It's quite unethical," he said.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg officials said Superintendent Peter C. Gorman, who took over last summer, developed the plan in November after discussions with more than 500 parents, teachers, education experts and consultants over 100 days.
Nora Carr, a spokeswoman for Charlotte-Mecklenburg, said: "We're glad they found things they could use in our program. The only caution I have is that it is critically important that plans are tailored to meet the individual needs of communities and students."
Before taking office, Fenty commissioned a study from the Parthenon Group, a management consulting firm, on the D.C. school system. Among the findings were charts that showed Charlotte-Mecklenburg leading all urban systems on test scores for reading and math.
Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, said that the plan Fenty is borrowing from is a brand-new effort whose effectiveness is unknown.
"It's not that city systems shouldn't borrow," Casserly said. "There's nothing wrong with that. It's admirable. You want to learn what succeeds other places, but this seems something short of that. That is not the plan that got Charlotte the gains."
Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.
