This document records testimony from a hearing before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary Education of the Committee on Education and the Workforce that was held to examine school choice. Opening statements were provided by: (1) Honorable Aaron Bean, Chairman, Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary…

In this speech, Hursh shows how public education in the United States is undergoing profound changes. Education policy has been hijacked by the unelected and unaccountable corporate reformers who aspire to overhaul the education system through a corporate model of privatization and market competition. They aim to privatize education through…

This study presents Arizona's innovations in academic accountability policy and academic accountability frameworks for alternative schools. A timeline of statutes and regulations including the State Board of Education approved alternative school definition provides Arizona's context for alternative school accountability policy and frameworks.…

In February 2011, the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) convened a conference to help districts implementing school choice under the U.S. Department of Education's Voluntary Public School Choice program. The conference, sponsored by the Department of Education, provided grantees access to the most current knowledge from district and…

This paper analyzes charter school state laws in terms of two general dimensions: (1) the flexibility, freedom, and support extended in the law; and (2) the degree of public accountability required of charter schools. The paper proposes a much more complex set of analyses of those laws than have been accomplished to date. After analyzing the…

The accountability mismatch between the theory and the reality of charter schools and charter-school authorizers in the United States is identified in this report. The roles and characteristics of charter-school authorizers are not well understood, but they are positioned to play a key role in ensuring and enforcing charter-school accountability.…

Since 1993, New York City has a major advocate for the public school children at the New York State Department of Education: Associate Commissioner Sheila Evans-Tranumn. Herself a product of the New York City public schools, Sheila has a genuine and firm commitment to helping the public schools provide every child with a quality education. To…

Throughout the country, a wide range of educational options exist, from neighborhood public schools to cyber-schools. This study focuses on school choice in improving the educational experience in one city, Philadelphia. The study employed interviews with policymakers, teachers, and others; a focus group of middle-school students; a collection of…

This report presents the testimony of the president and program director of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. Based in Washington, DC and in Dayton, the Institute is a nonprofit organization that supports research, publications, and action projects of national significance in elementary/secondary reform, as well as significant education reform…

This paper examines how the Texas charter-school law is being implemented, with particular attention paid to issues of equity and social justice. It focuses on the demographic composition of students and staff in Texas' charter schools, provisions for oversight and accountability, early indices of student performance, ongoing controversies,…

This paper presents the results of the first year evaluation of a 2-year project, "Comprehensive Accountability, Professional Development, and Assessment System for the Tri-County Charter School Partnership." This partnership of five charter schools was working to develop a replicable and comprehensive accountability system for each of…

This paper presents national 2000-01 data from charter schools and charter-school authorizers in the United States regarding the various stages of the accountability process: the charter application stage, the monitoring stage, and the sanctions stage. The larger accountability context of public schools and its impact on charter schools are also…

This report presents findings of an analytical study on student achievement in charter schools and the effect of state accountability regimes on charter-school performance. Data for the study were gathered from a literature review and test scores from 1999 to 2001 of both charter schools and regular public schools. The data were collected from…

This paper examines the balance between autonomy and accountability in education from the perspective of Massachusetts and Texas charter schools and their state authorizers. By analyzing national survey data, interviews with key policymakers, and case studies of six low, medium, and high performing schools, the paper examines the organizational…

Nonprofit organizations, private foundations, and for-profit corporations interested in shaping public education regularly partner with charter schools in New York. State law allows charter schools to pursue external partners to help meet their fiscal, facilities, operational, and instructional needs. This qualitative study of 10 schools in New…