An Education

Can charter schools close the achievement gap? The Beacon Hill Institute, a prominent Massachusetts think tank, says yes--and says the number of charter schools in the Bay State should be doubled.

[O]ur research indicates that charter schools are a viable alternative to traditional public schools. If policymakers desire
improved student test scores without greater costs, they would be well served to lift the restrictions obstructing charter school growth and amend legislation governing traditional public schools to incorporate similar elements of freedom and accountability.

One determinant of the superior performance of charter schools over traditional public schools is likely the autonomy that charter schools enjoy in setting their own curricula. Traditionally, all students in a district are taught the same material using the same methods. The freedom granted to charter schools encourages teachers to experiment and innovate with teaching strategies that would remain underused
in traditional public schools because of bureaucratic rigidity. Not all children benefit uniformly from particular educational regime; charter schools allow teachers the freedom to cater to a variety of student needs that traditional public schools cannot meet. If legislators wish to promote a learning environment responsive to student diversity, it makes sense to decentralize the education structure and give authority to teachers and parents.

Another important factor driving charter schools’ success is the increased accountability they face compared to non‐charter public schools. Charter schools are judged largely by output‐based metrics (such as standardized test scores), and their continued existence depends upon their ability to produce satisfactory results; non‐charter public schools do not face nearly the same degree of scrutiny. Charter schools can have their charters revoked if they fail to meet their sponsors’ expectations, which creates a strong incentive for their administration and faculty to thoroughly prepare students for the standardized tests. This is not an idle threat; six of the 77 charters granted in Massachusetts since 1994 have been revoked or not renewed.

Could an expansion of charter schools in the Bay State lead to similar educational reforms across the country? As goes Massachusetts...