Charter schools are widely discussed as an alternative to traditional public schools in the quest to improve K–12 education. Nationwide, charter schools will be an important element in the debate over reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act — better known as No Child Left Behind.
In the Gulf States, urban school districts like New Orleans have looked to charter schools to improve the support they provide to children who often face many disadvantages. The Mississippi legislature debated HB 888, the Public Charter School Act of 2012, this spring and will likely bring up the subject again this fall. And the authorization of charter schools remains a priority for Alabama's governor and Republican leadership in the House and Senate.
For nearly two decades, RAND has been conducting research on choice-based education reforms, including charter schools. The RAND Gulf States Policy Institute developed this policy spotlight to focus attention on our objective, evidence-based research and to help Gulf States and other education policymakers make the right decisions for their communities.
