This paper examines the characteristics that influence the number of transfers between school districts. Using data on 2018-19 transfers between Indiana's 289 traditional public school districts, we examine observed transfer flows. Model results show that standardized test scores and distance between school districts have the largest impact on the…

Students in the United States are not achieving in mathematics as indicated on the NAEP (2019) exams and other measurements of student achievement (NCES, 2019; OECD, 2019; O'Dwyer, et al., 2015). Mathematically gifted and promising students are especially impacted by this phenomenon, though it is not exactly known what factors contribute to…

This report presents data on public elementary and secondary education revenues and expenditures at the local education agency (LEA) or school district level for fiscal year (FY) 2020. Specifically, this report includes the following types of school district finance data: (1) revenue, current expenditure, and capital outlay expenditure totals; (2)…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to examine how high school instructional educators (teachers, curriculum development leaders), support staff members (guidance counselors, coaches, social workers, deans), and two principals employed within a U.S. northeastern urban city charter high school network described how an effective…

Charter schools enroll a growing share of public school students, leading to concerns about the financial implications of charter schools for traditional public schools (TPSs). Using detailed expenditure data for school districts in California, I exploit variation in charter school enrollment across time and between districts to evaluate how…

Presently, charter schools exist in 43 states. The Minnesota Legislature first created charter schools in the United States in 1991. As of 2018, there were nearly 7,000 charter schools in 43 states serving over approximately 3 million students. The creation, control, and mission of these schools varies from state to state. This analysis examines…

"Hybrid homeschools" generally operate as formal schools 2-3 days per week. The rest of the week students are homeschooled. These entities therefore share some aspects of conventional schooling along with some aspects of homeschooling and are classified in a variety of ways by their states, local districts, and even their own…

Despite a lack of conclusive evidence connecting autonomous schools and academic success, school autonomy is regularly championed as being a way of not only improving schools but as a way of improving the quality of education in socially and economically deprived areas. This research builds on a recent paper published in "Irish Educational…

In response to an education-market demand to provide equitable solutions for underserved populations, the State of Michigan passed legislation that created public school academies (i.e., charter public schools) to leverage marketplace competition that addresses supply and demand among high-quality schools. Detroit, Michigan, has a large number of…

The current debate about charter schools' effects on school district finances hinges on enrollment loss. Critics claim that the surge in charter enrollment in California since 2000 has driven enrollment loss statewide--cutting districts' income more than their costs, especially in cities where many students attend charter schools. State officials…

Charter schools operate under an independent contract with an authorizer, which allows the school to operate with autonomy related to curriculum, staff, and budget. During the 2017-18 school year, charter schools across the United States served more than 3 million students, accounting for approximately 6 percent of all K-12 public school students.…

This brief examines school integration and school choice through the lens of school transportation. It first provides a brief history of the role transportation has played in integration and choice policies. It then dives into three examples of initiatives that combine choice and integration, and the challenges they pose for transportation,…

School of choice has been touted as a solution to the alleged decay of the American educational system. Every year more and more "choice schools" (charter, magnet, expeditionary, and others) open across the United States. Although these schools are subject to the same federal legal requirements as traditional public schools to provide a…

Nationally, the number of charter schools opening and the enrollment size at charters is on the rise. But what happens when charter schools are low performing? For most charter schools and their authorizers, closing low-performing schools seems inevitable. However, school closures have dramatic impacts on students, families, and communities --…

The impacts of the 2018 elections were felt in the 2019 state legislative sessions across the country. While charter school supporters continued to rack up legislative victories on increasing funding and facilities support, strengthening accountability, and protecting autonomy, they also faced political climates in several states that were…