Comparing the Goals of Charter School Laws With Their Results: Implications for Policy and Practice

• In Event: Evaluating Charter Schools: Beyond Average Achievement Effects

Abstract

As the second decade of the charter school movement closes, it is important to compare the movement’s intended purposes against its results. This systematic literature review provides a rigorous examination of the charter school research over the last decade to compare the goals of state charter school laws with their results. Findings reveal that the desired outcomes – at the classroom, school, and system level – have not been consistently achieved; research methods as well as contextual factors play a role in the different results seen. Understanding where charters have a positive impact – in what conditions and along which dimensions – is crucial in shaping future policy and practice.

Authors

• Joanna R. Smith, University of Southern California

• Caitlin Farrell, University of California - Berkeley

• Priscilla (Penny) Wohlstetter, Teachers College, Columbia University