School choice is increasingly the new normal in urban education. But in cities with multiple public school options, how can civic leaders create a choice system that works for all families, whether they choose a charter or district school? To answer this question, CRPE has been studying the opportunities and challenges in “high-choice” cities. We have interviewed civic and education leaders and surveyed parents to identify challenges like uneven school quality and lack of transportation. We’ve also studied ways cities can overcome barriers, such as unified enrollment and common accountability systems, to learn what works and what needs to be refined.
Charter schools offer the potential to create high-performing public schools in districts typically plagued by poor student outcomes. Too often, however, the charter school debate is marred by biased research and polemics. Like all important reform efforts, credible research and analysis must accompany innovation. To assess whether charter schools are fulfilling their mission, we rigorously evaluate their performance, costs, and ability to address unique student needs. New data and evidence help innovators across the country collaborate, communicate, and develop best practices.
Targeted at current and future charter school leaders, charter management organizations (CMOs), and charter governing boards, this brief outlines the challenges faced by current charter school leaders and provides practical recommendations for strengthening school leadership....
This overview of Hopes, Fears, & Reality: A Balanced Look at American Charters Schools in 2008 introduces the key areas explored in this year’s volume and notes that charter schools are more different than alike,...
This paper analyzes existing charter outcome studies and finds that there is great variety in charter school performance, with charters outperforming in some grade spans/subjects and underperforming in others.
This chapter presents national data showing how charter schools differ from traditional public schools in their approaches to teaching and learning.
By providing access to proven college-prep models (and suburban school performance expectations), charter schools appear to be offering something not otherwise available in many communities. In this chapter, Paul Hill explains this important trend in...
Due to the special vulnerability of their children and the due process rights built into special education statutes, parents of special-needs children are extreme choosers. They seek—and have the power of law behind them—the precise...
In this chapter, Rick Hess and Bruno Manno make a compelling case that understanding what various types of students, parents, teachers, principals, school districts, and others want and need from the charter sector could allow...
This paper provides an analysis of 14 charter school studies that use the two most rigorous methods: either randomization based on lotteries, or value-added modeling.
This year’s edition explores how charter school achievement varies across the sector, how the educational strategies used by charters differ from those used in traditional public schools, how charters are providing unique opportunities to diverse...
In this report CRPE researchers explore the complex job of charter school directors, who may have little experience with facilities, finances, hiring, or strategic planning; some of the most serious issues for charter schools. A...
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