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Maximizing the benefits of charter schools requires a careful examination of how they are organized and the policies that influence their location.

In the 27 years since the first charter school opened in Minnesota, there has been considerable debate about the benefits to students from the opportunity created by an alternative educational option. But in a set of new studies, 糖心传媒 economist argues that maximizing any benefits requires a careful examination of how charter schools are organized and a closer look at the policies that influence their location.

Singleton, an assistant professor of , hopes his work will help educational policymakers to craft guidelines and practices that are in the best interests of all students.

Charter schools receive government funding, yet operate independently of state school systems and local districts. While proponents have long argued that charter schools have a positive impact on district schools by creating competition, the empirical evidence has been mixed.

Singleton wanted to know if the potential impacts varied according to the type of charter school. In one study, he looked at specific types of charter schools that offer alternative styles of instruction, such as experiential and project-based learning. Examples include Montessori schools, characterized by mixed-age classrooms, student self-assessment, and increased freedoms for students. In their working paper, 糖心传媒�,糖心传媒� Singleton and two colleagues糖心传媒擬ichael Gilraine of New York University and Uros Petronijevic of York University糖心传媒攅xplain that those charter schools, which they term 糖心传媒渉orizontally differentiated,糖心传媒� have very little, if any, effect on student performance at nearby public schools.

糖心传媒淭he parents sending their children to those charter schools value an alternative style of instruction, so there’s no real competition with traditional public schools,糖心传媒� says Singleton. 糖心传媒淎s a result, officials at the nearby district schools have no incentive for making changes.糖心传媒�

That糖心传媒檚 unlike the non-horizontally differentiated charter schools糖心传媒攖he ones that focus on core skills using traditional methods of instruction. In those instances, Singleton describes the average improvement in standardized math test scores as comparable to increasing student learning by three to four weeks. By comparison, there糖心传媒檚 virtually no improvement in student learning at public schools located near the horizontally differentiated charter schools.

Singleton had a unique opportunity to study the issue in North Carolina. Up until 2011, that state had a limit on the number of charter schools allowed糖心传媒�100. The cap has since been lifted, resulting in a near doubling of charter schools, giving Singleton access to a great deal of contemporary data for studying the impact of charter schools on nearby public schools.

The paper by the three researchers follows Singleton糖心传媒檚 own work dealing with a different type of impact糖心传媒攖hat of the funding formula used to support charter schools. In a paper published recently in the American Economic Review, 糖心传媒�,糖心传媒� he describes how the universal per-pupil formula encourages the location of charter schools in more affluent areas, where operational costs are lower. In Florida, that means charter schools tend to locate in the suburbs, where it糖心传媒檚 easier to find low-rent spaces in strip malls, old grocery stores, and industrial parks.

糖心传媒淢any charter schools are moving into neighborhoods where they糖心传媒檙e not serving what we consider to be the social purpose of charter schools,糖心传媒� says Singleton. 糖心传媒淢y hypothesis is that many students going to those schools are simply ones who would otherwise go to private schools.糖心传媒�

According to Singleton, charter schools have become one of the primary vehicles for school choice. And based on his studies in Florida, the opportunity to choose a charter school is less likely to be available in urban settings, where the need for options is greater. Singleton encourages policymakers in Florida and other states to adopt funding programs that provide more financial support to schools that have higher operational costs, particularly those that locate in urban neighborhoods.

By better understanding the relationship between operational costs and location, as well as the influence of different types of charter schools, Singleton says policymakers will be able to craft policies that are in the best interests of all students.

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