Michigan’s charter schools have been politically controversial and are delivering mixed academic results, with some not meeting acceptable standards for quality and performance, a study by Education Sector has found.
“Maintenance Required: Charter Schooling in Michigan” is available from Education Sector.
“The charter school movement has clearly made a mark on Michigan’s education scene, but it falls short of its original goals of expanding parent choice, fostering innovation, and improving student achievement,” says the report by Sara Mead, a senior policy analyst at the Washington-based think tank.
The study provides a wide-ranging look at Michigan’s charter landscape. The state has 230 charter schools, about half of which are in Detroit and its suburbs, the report says. It notes that nearly three-quarters of those schools are run by for-profit corporations hired under contract to operate the schools—more than in any other state.
