Issue In Focus

Charter Schools: Studying Their Effectiveness

Although charter schools have been important laboratories for innovation, evidence is lacking on whether these publicly funded institutions promote student learning adequately. Mathematica's charter school evaluations are helping to inform the debate. We are conducting studies of KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program), a national network of open-enrollment college preparatory charter schools in underserved communities; charter management organizations (CMOs), nonprofit organizations that start and manage new charter schools; a national set of charter middle schools that hold admissions lotteries; and charter school outcomes in several states. A recent report from this last study notes that charter schools in Chicago improve graduation and college entry rates.