With a commitment to quality, charter schools can provide better public options for students.
Charter schools—tuition-free, independently run public schools—make up an increasing share of public school options nationally. To realize their potential, policy and education leaders must commit to authorizing great schools, expanding high-performers, and rapidly fixing, closing, or replacing chronically struggling schools.
Public Impact’s work in the charter school sector focuses on:
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Strengthening charter authorizing practices,
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Improving state and federal charter policy for excellence, equity and scale, and
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Helping local leaders develop and implement high-quality charters open to all
We continually generate new ideas based on data and field observation to further close achievement gaps and elevate prospects for all children, and elevate the education profession so everyone can experience excellent instruction, support, and career opportunities.
See a summary of our charter schools services here. Download a PDF of this page here.
Contact us to discuss how we can help you achieve your goals: info@publicimpact.com
Public Impact’s Thought Leadership
For two decades, Public Impact has worked closely with charter authorizers, charter management organizations, and state and federal charter school offices to shape policies focused on enhancing quality, innovation, and charter schools’ student outcomes. We have led the field by:
- Elevating how state charter law can ensure quality—or not (The Charter School Challenge, 1999).
- Making charter authorizing a force for excellence in the sector,
- Beginning with Starting Fresh (2003), advancing restarts of failing schools with excellent charter operators,
- Focusing the sector on how many students the best charter schools reach (Going Exponential, 2009),
- Making closure of low-performing charter schools more practicable (2009),
- Pressing the sector to innovate and meet unmet needs (2015), and
- Addressing issues of equity and efficiency arising when charters achieve high market share (2015).
Our Services
We collaborate with partners, funders, and clients to provide:
Strategy and Design
- Strategic planning for the charter sector with states, authorizers, foundations, local education organizations, and policymakers, with a focus on excellent outcomes and equitable access for all students
- Approval and replication process design for charter authorizers
- Performance frameworks and processes to hold charter schools accountable
- Staffing model design to help charters extend the reach of excellent teachers
Implementation Support and Evaluation
- Performance monitoring and accountability implementation for charter school authorizers and states
- Data dashboards and other reports to gauge and share charter outcomes
- Evaluation of charter portfolios and individual charter schools and restarts
Research and Policy Advising
- Advising policy and education leaders on innovation and replication of high-quality schools
- Case studies that illustrate what is possible and identify gaps in the field
- Research that leads the charter sector forward when old charter approaches fall short of excellence
Select Charter Schools Clients
| • Charter School Growth Fund • Delaware State Board of Education • Education Cities • IL State Charter School Commission • Indianapolis Mayor’s Office • Michael and Susan Dell Foundation | • National Alliance for Public Charter Schools • National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) • National Charter School Resource Center • New Schools for New Orleans • NewSchools Venture Fund • Opportunity 180 | • Rhode Island Mayoral Academies • S.C. Public Charter School District • Startup: Education • The Mind Trust • Thomas B. Fordham Institute |
