How Should the Government Regulate Charter Schools? State Policy Patterns and Causal Effects. Policy Brief

Charter schools are privately operated public schools funded by the government with oversight from school districts, state education departments, or other government authorizers. This gives charter schools autonomy from many government rules and regulations, allows them to specialize and innovate in particular types of education, and gives parents more choices. With this autonomy also comes some additional accountability. If a charter school is not meeting the terms of its agreement, the government can close it or turn control over to another charter operator. However, there is little evidence about the appropriate mix of policies, the balance between autonomy and government oversight, and the trade-offs involved. This brief describes how charter regulation varies across states, shows how those regulations are related to charter school outcomes, and provides evidence of their policy effects. The purpose is to help address the larger question: how should the government regulate charter schools?