NACSA Blog

NACSA Blog

Press Releases


NACSA Selects Third Cohort for Leaders Program

The success of the charter school sector depends on having strong authorizers capable of managing a portfolio of high-performing schools and ensuring that every charter school provides an outstanding education to its …


Strong Authorizing Practices Produced Better Schools for 230,000 Students in 2013

More than 230,000 students are attending better schools in 2013 because of the actions of charter school authorizers across the country, according to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA). Authorizers …


National Association of Charter School Authorizers and the Charter School Growth Fund release recommendatons for successful replication of high-performing charter schools

State policies must change to differentiate and grow high-performing charter schools and weed out the low performers according to a report released today by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) …


NACSA Calls on Nation’s Charter School Authorizers to Act Now to Maintain Accountability

In a statement released today, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) cautioned that while the upcoming shift to Common Core standards provides a long-term opportunity to improve the nation’s schools, it …


NACSA releases recommendations on accountability measures for alternative charter schools

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) today released Anecdotes Aren’t Enough: An Evidence-Based Approach to Accountability for Alternative Charter Schools, a report that sets out recommendations for appropriate accountability systems …


Nevada is Betting on, not Blaming, its Charter School Sector

In an era of heightened partisanship around charter schools, Nevada’s recently enacted package of reform bills proves that hostile politics don’t have to be part of the narrative. Instead, Nevada is making …


The Good, Bad, and Ugly on Pennsylvania’s Legislative Docket

At least 10 charter-related bills were recently introduced by Pennsylvania legislators from both sides of the aisle. In a state that has struggled to improve its charter school law—one of the most …


If It Works, We Want More: Expanding High-Performing Charter Schools

In US News’ most recent ranking of the best high schools in the country, charter schools crushed it: More than one in five schools on the list was a charter school, despite …


Tennessee Paves a New Avenue for More Great Public Schools

Tennessee recently adopted legislation that creates a state charter school commission and gives the state board of education responsibility for overseeing charter authorizers. These actions should spur charter growth as well as …


It’s Not Just a California Dream: Fix Bad Charter School State Policies to Erase Bad Incentives

“There are wildly different levels of attention being paid to these schools, and charter schools are finding ways to shop around for the weakest oversight. As long as California’s authorizing structure stays …


Heat Wave or Cold Snap: Movement on the Virtual Schools Policy Front?

Virtual charter school reform continues to be a major legislative trend this year: we’re tracking legislation introduced in seven states, with more likely to come. As we take a closer look at …


Preserving Authorizer Judgment: On the Road to a Win in New Mexico

A few things truly set the nation’s strongest charter school authorizers apart from the field. NACSA’s research, released last year in our Quality Practice Project, revealed students are best served when authorizers …


Multi-State Analysis of Charter School Proposals and Approvals Reveals a Diverse Sector Shaped by Authorizers

Report uncovers increased share of freestanding school proposals, decrease in for-profit and “No Excuses” proposals, and few proposals receive philanthropic support.  CHICAGO — A new report released today by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) offers a never-before-seen …


It’s All About the Balance: California’s Transparency Bill

School choice advocates know the core tenet of the charter school bargain: schools get the autonomy they need to implement programs that work while being held accountable for results with students. In …


The Freshman Class Has a Lesson or Two For the Seniors

The charter school movement is now nearly 30 years old. In these three decades, practitioners and policymakers have learned a lot. States with newer charter laws—like Alabama, Mississippi, and Washington—have learned from …