Expanding What Works: Policies to Promote Quality Charter School Growth

Practices and Policies for Quality Charter School Growth 

We need more great public schools for children, especially for our most vulnerable students. Many charter schools across the country are doing phenomenal work, particularly with Black students, Latinx students, and economically disadvantaged students.  

If the effects of the pandemics have made anything clear it’s this: students need access to outstanding learning opportunities and talented educators with the skills to accelerate student learning and attend to student wellness. Communities are asking for schools that meet the needs and aspirations of their children and their families.  

One way to meet these needs is through the expansion and replication of high-performing charter schools that have proven effective in meeting student and family needs. Enabling growth among these high-performers requires both policy solutions and improved authorizer practices.  

Families and students need great public schools that work for them. Quality authorizing responds to community needs, and community-centered authorizing creates opportunities for local families by thoughtfully expanding schools that meet the unique needs of every child.   

NACSA is proud to share new research identifying the authorizer practices and policies that support the expansion and replication of high-quality charter schools. Our Expanding What Works series explores practices and policies for quality growth across the charter school landscape. Authorizers and policymakers should consider implementing these practices to expand access to schools that are succeeding in this new and challenging context.

We invite you to explore these resources.

For Policymakers

Expanding What Works: Practical Authorizing Policies to Promote Quality Growth

For Authorizers*

Expanding What Works: Effective Authorizing Practices to Promote Quality Growth

Expanding What Works: Examples of Authorizers Innovating to Promote Quality Growth

*Visit AuthoRISE—NACSA’s comprehensive digital learning community—to access the full resource suite as well as other resources to strengthen your authorizing practices. Anyone can access all of our new COVID-19 resources in AuthoRISE by emailing [email protected] and requesting a login.  

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Additional Resources

Expanding Access to High-Performing Charters