Report Examines Public Charter School Growth and Challenges

According to a new report released by Bellwether Education Partners, “The State of the Charter School Movement”, the number of students attending public charter schools more than tripled to nearly 3 million, or 6 percent, students nationally.   

In the past five years, the number of states with public charter school laws has climbed to 43, including Washington, DC and research shows that public charter schools are improving student achievement in major cities and for historically underserved student subgroups.  

The report also identified some challenges public charter schools will experience that could possible stall expanding the movement.  A lack of access to facilities and inequitable funding are both cited as reasons. Even with these challenges, over 6,700 public charter schools have opened up in the last five years. This is more than triple the number that existed in 2000.  

Public charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated. They do not charge tuition and are open to all students. In comparison to traditional public schools, public charter schools have more independence in their operations and curriculum, making them a desirable choice for families. Bellwether projects that public charter schools will educate 20 to 40 percent of all public school students in the next 20 years. Read the full report here.  

Bellwether Education Partners releases "The State of the Charter School Movement."