State Policy Impact on Market Share of Charter Schools
Open Access
- Author:
- Rohan, Emma
- Area of Honors:
- Political Science
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Eric Plutzer, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Michael Barth Berkman, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- education policy
education
charter schools
public schools
K-12 education
United States
state policy - Abstract:
- The landscape of education in the United States is transforming. Charter schools, situated at the border between public and private, provide a unique opportunity to study one manifestation of this changing landscape. My thesis aims to answer the question: how do differences in the education policy environments between states explain the variance in different types of charter schools in those states? Using data from the National Center of Education Statistics, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and the Center for Education Reform, this study evaluates the extent to which a state's charter policy landscape and funding regime predicts the state’s market share of for-profit, non-profit, and independent charter schools. The charter school favorability index, which is comprised of the highly correlated variables of funding favorability, authorizer flexibility, operational autonomy, and charter growth, is a consistent predictor of higher overall charter school density, yet there is a consistent negative impact on the density of independent charter schools. If states with laws that ostensibly favor charter schools see a reduced density of independent charter schools, this study poses the question: which type of charter school do these laws favor? Possibilities for future research are discussed.