“I can’t believe it went by so fast.” Isn’t that what every college student says when they wrap up a new experience like a semester-long internship? In my last few days living in Washington, DC I actually feel that I am living and breathing these words. As I sit down to write this post I…

In 1999, a coalition of anti-reformers, including teacher unions, was temporarily successful in obtaining an injunction against Cleveland, Ohio’s opportunity scholarship program. At the time, the injunction unnecessarily caused uncertainty for approximately 3,800 low-income students and their families slated to benefit from having choices. But they failed in the end, and Cleveland along with the…

By: Allysa Turner Ingenuity Prep Public Charter School in DC opened its doors for the first time in August to 107 kids in grades PreK3-K. Out of all of the charter school visits I’ve done while being with CER, this one stood out to me in a way that the others did not. I have…

Postcards from the Past  A new, occasional blog post in commemoration of CER’s 20 years in business and the historical events that have taken place during our history and the history of the education reform movement. In 1996, CER created the first-ever national charter school directory,  an invaluable resource that continues to provide up-to-date information…

This week, we will learn the 2012 results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), taken by 15 year-old students from all over the world. If 2009 is any judge, no one really expects the United States to catapult to the top of the list of participating countries, but 2012 results are guaranteed to…

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to visit an exceptional school with exceptional students. Excel Academy is the first all-girls charter school in DC, opening its doors in 2008 by a tenacious CEO and founder by the name of Kaye Savage. I was lucky enough to sit down with Savage and hear her reasoning…

Congratulations to the brilliant Caroline Hoxby of Stanford University, who this week received praise from Smithsonian Magazine for her indispensable research in making college more accessible to underserved students. Hoxby’s intensive, nationwide project compiled and cross-referenced data in an effort to find the high-performing students who for a multitude of reasons, probably would not even have…

Alarming and disturbing - two words that are not normally associated with New York City charter schools.  Two words that in no way describe the choice public schools that continually provide the most innovative options and stellar achievement for students.  In fact, a study by Caroline Hoxby shows that the longer NY students are in…

Enrollment in the aptly named parental choice program in Racine, WI has more than doubled after the removal of a state-imposed cap, meaning over 1,200 Racine students in the 2013-14 school year will have increased choice and opportunity to be in a schooling environment that’s right for them. School leaders in the area are reporting…

The release of the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Math and Reading scores yesterday showed little to no progress for students in 4th and 8th grade. When diving into the online resources, some subgroups did have gains, while others fared worse. Hispanic students in both grades made two point gains since 2011. Eighth-grade…