Since the inception of charter schools over a decade ago, policymakers have wanted to know how charter schools are performing. This is difficult to answer because there is no single charter school approach to educating students. By design, charter schools have innovative and distinctive...

This article uses data from Ohio, a state that allows a wide range of organizations to authorize charter schools, to examine the relationship between type of authorizer and charter-school effectiveness.

Previous charter school research has shown mixed results for student achievement, which could be the consequence of different policy environments or methodological approaches with differing assumptions across studies. This analysis discusses these approaches and assumptions and estimates effects...

We analyze the relationship between charter high school attendance and educational attainment in Florida and in Chicago. Controlling for observed student characteristics and test scores, we estimate that among students who attended a charter middle school, those who went on to attend a charter...

This article analyzes the relationship between charter high school attendance and educational attainment in Florida and Chicago. Students who attended a charter middle school and went on to attend a charter high school were 7 to 15 percentage points more likely to earn a standard diploma than...

In the academic and policy debates over the merits of charter schools, two things are clear: First, they are here to stay and, second, their quality varies widely. Policy makers therefore need to understand how to design charter laws that promote the creation of high-performing schools. Crucial...

In the last decade, many cities around the country have needed to close schools due to declining enrollments and low achievement. School closings raise concerns about the possible negative impacts on student achievement, neighborhoods, families, and teaching staff. This study examines an...

Since their inception, charter schools have been a lighting rod for controversy, with much of the debate revolving around their effectiveness in improving student achievement. Previous research has shown mixed results for student achievement; this could be the consequence of different policy...