Charter schools

Affiliated faculty

Susan M. Dynarski

Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Susan M. Dynarski is a professor at Harvard University, where she holds an appointment at the Graduate School of Education. She recently moved from the University of Michigan, where she held appointments in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public…

Publication

One size doesn't fit all: U-M study reveals different educational models can lead to college success

Aug 9, 2024

Student test scores are not the only indicator of future college success.New research led by University of Michigan education economist Sarah Cohodes provides insights into how different K-12 educational environments shape college preparation,...

One size doesn't fit all: U-M study reveals different educational models can lead to college success

Publication

Lessons learned: Urban charter schools demonstrate potential to improve student performance

Feb 22, 2024

While the merits of charter schools vs. traditional public schools are well-documented, some charter schools in urban areas can dramatically improve student achievement, especially among disadvantaged students, says a University of Michigan...

Lessons learned: Urban charter schools demonstrate potential to improve student performance

News

Musaddiq details driving factors of school enrollment drops

Oct 7, 2021

Ford School postdoctoral fellow Tareena Musaddiq explains findings from a recent Education Policy Initiative working paper about the pandemic's effects on school enrollment and its consequences in The Conversation. Musaddiq writes that the large...

Musaddiq details driving factors of school enrollment drops

Publication

EPI study offers deeper dive into demand for educational choices, implications for schools during pandemic

Sep 9, 2021

As school districts consider their options in light of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, a study by the Education Policy Initiative shows they need to be flexible in offering both in-person and virtual options or risk losing more enrollees. The...

EPI study offers deeper dive into demand for educational choices, implications for schools during pandemic

EPI Working papers

Estimating the Effects of a Large Network of Charter Schools Managed by a For-profit Operator

March 1, 2018

Susan Dynarski, Daniel Hubbard, Brian Jacob

In this paper, we leverage randomized admissions lotteries to estimate the impact of attending a National Heritage Academy (NHA) charter school. NHA is the fourth largest for-profit charter operator in the country, enrolling more than 56,000...

Student walking down a hallway at school

EPI Policy briefs

K-8 Choice in Michigan: Practices and Policies within Charter and Traditional Public Schools

December 1, 2016

Susan Dynarski, Brian Jacob, Mahima Mahadevan

Many view public and charter schools as vastly different school settings, but research rarely compares charter schools to the traditional public schools that students would likely otherwise attend. What are the different policies that affect...

EPI Working papers

When Evidence is Not Enough: Findings from a Randomized Evaluation of Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction

February 1, 2015

Brian Jacob

This paper reports the results of an experimental evaluation of Evidence Based Literacy Instruction (EBLI). Developed over 15 years ago, EBLI aims to provide teachers with instructional strategies to improve reading accuracy, fluency and...

EPI Working papers

Stand and Deliver: Effects of Boston's Charter High Schools on College Preparation, Entry and Choice

September 1, 2013

Susan Dynarski, Joshua Angrist, Sarah Cohodes, Parag Pathak, Christopher Walters

We use admissions lotteries to estimate the effects of attendance at Boston's charter high schools on college preparation, college attendance, and college choice. Charter attendance increases pass rates on the high-stakes exam required for high...

Other reports

Charter Schools: A Report on Rethinking the Federal Role in Education

December 1, 2011

Susan Dynarski, Michelle Croft, Caroline Hoxby, Tom Loveless, Mark Schneider, Grover J. "Russ" Whitehurst, John Witte

Charter schools offer choice to parents who would otherwise be constrained to having their children attend a residentially assigned traditional public school. The number of charter schools has increased steadily in the last decade, reflecting their...

Other reports

Student Achievement in Massachusetts' Charter Schools

January 1, 2011

Susan Dynarski, Joshua Angrist, Sarah Cohodes, Jon Fullerton, Thomas Kane, Parag Pathak, Christopher Walters

Researchers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, MIT, and the University of Michigan have released the results of a new study that suggests that urban charter schools in Massachusetts have large positive effects on student achievement at...

Other reports

Inputs and Impacts in Charter Schools: KIPP Lynn

May 1, 2010

Susan Dynarski, Joshua Angrist, Thomas Kane, Parag Pathak, Christopher Walters

The charter school landscape includes a variety of organizational models and a few national franchises. The nation's largest network of charter schools is the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), with 80 schools operating or slated to open soon. KIPP...

EPI Working papers

Accountability and Flexibility in Public Schools: Evidence from Boston's Charters and Pilots

November 1, 2009

Susan Dynarski, Atila Abdulkadiroglu, Joshua Angrist, Thomas Kane, Parag Pathak

Charter schools are publicly funded but operate outside the regulatory framework and collective bargaining agreements characteristic of traditional public schools. In return for this freedom, charter schools are subject to heightened accountability....

Other reports

Informing the Debate: Comparing Boston's Charter, Pilot, and Traditional Schools

January 1, 2009

Susan Dynarski, Atila Abdulkadiroglu, Joshua Angrist, Sarah Cohodes, Jon Fullerton, Thomas Kane, Parag Pathak

Findings of groundbreaking study suggest charter school students in Boston outperform their peers at other public schools in Boston. Results for pilot schools were less clear; some analyses showed positive results at the elementary and high school...

Future of education in Detroit: A panel discussion

Oct 23, 2014 1:19:42

Over the last decade, K-12 education in Detroit has undergone unprecedented change with the establishment of the Education Achievement Authority in 2012, the surge of charter school enrollment, and the influence

The role of the private sector in K-12 public education panel

Mar 18, 2008 1:23:57

Panelists Michael Flanagan, Frederick Hess, JD Hoye, Sanford I. Weill, Deborah Loewenberg Ball and moderator Brian Jacob discuss the role that the private sector can play in public education. March, 2008.