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Charter Schools and Public School Choice

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.

The report examines lessons from New York’s experience with charter caps politics and provides policy considerations relevant to the growing number of states in which charter schools are reaching their legislated limit.

This report reviews the available data to describe the current corps of charter school leaders: how they are prepared, how they experience their work, and the institutional strategies in place to sustain and transition leadership....

This brief begins with a look at the main problems faced by organizations attempting to replicate charter schools at scale, followed by a summary of lessons from the for-profit and nonprofit sectors about the process...

Analyzing data from the 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), this working paper finds that charter schools consistently reported significantly fewer issues with threats to persons or property and fewer behavioral problems than traditional public...

This is the introductory report from the “Inside Charter Schools” initiative, a multi-year, federally funded study of the people and work of charter schools.

Researchers with CRPE’s Doing School Choice Right initiative determine what drives the school-choice decisions made by 800 low- to moderate-income families in three cities.

This chapter of Hopes, Fears, & Reality: A Balanced Look at American Charter Schools in 2006 reports the results from a new multi-city survey that examines how low-income parents choose charter schools.

This chapter of Hopes, Fears, & Reality: A Balanced Look at American Charter Schools in 2006 reports the results of a new study that examines how city school districts that lose students and funding to...

This chapter of Hopes, Fears, & Reality: A Balanced Look at American Charter Schools in 2006 presents the results of a meeting between charter school leaders and teachers union leaders to discuss areas of agreement...

This chapter of Hopes, Fears, & Reality: A Balanced Look at American Charter Schools in 2006 shows how states can get an honest picture of how charter schools are performing under their laws.

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