When the concept of charter schools was first implemented in California in 1993, the goal was to allow the modification of existing public schools or the creation of wholly new ones that would be less rule-bound than traditional public schools but more accountable for student achievement. For some charter advocates, simply providing such…

This report is a follow-up to "Gaining Ground in the Middle Grades" (Williams, Kirst, Haertel, et al., 2010). That study specified a comprehensive set of actionable practices that differentiated higher academic achievement among 303 middle grades schools in California. In doing so, the study provided a compelling and coherent account of…

This analysis of charter school performance addresses two critical questions: (1) how does the academic performance of California charter schools differ from that of noncharters; and (2) how does the academic performance of different kinds of charter schools vary? This study examined achievement data for charter and traditional public schools with…

This report begins with a discussion of why performance comparisons between charter and noncharter schools can be complicated. It also summarizes the most recent data from California's assessment and accountability systems, comparing types of charter schools and looking at them within the context of the larger system. An overview of the often…