School Choice

Forty states have legislation allowing for the creation of charter schools, and the market share of these public-private hybrids is on the rise.   Introducing market mechanisms into public education could have unanticipated consequences.  It is more important than ever for policy makers and communities to have evidence on the performance of charter schools.

We need to have a clearer understanding of what works and reliable, independent evidence on the key questions at the heart of this expanding debate.

Many expectations were laid out for charter schools at the beginning of the reform nearly twenty years ago, including benefits from more equitable access, greater innovation, and more competition for students.  Now that we have more mature and robust evidence on charter schools, we can move past the ideological debates that have plagued this reform.  What do we actually know about charter school outcomes, and how has our knowledge evolved over the years in view of this evidence?

School Choice Events

  • The Illinois P-20 Longitudinal Policy Research Summit
    Tue, Nov 17, 2009 10am - 3pm
    The Forum on the Future of Public Education will host a summit of policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and other stakeholders to identify critical research questions and provide recommendations for Illinois’ research agenda and data integration efforts.

School Choice Research Lead

  • Christopher Lubienski, Ph.D.
    Associate Professor of Educational Organization and Leadership
    College of Education, University of Illinois
    Research Profile
    Chris Lubienski's research centers on public and private interests in education, including the use of market mechanisms such as choice and competition to improve schooling, especially for disadvantaged children. His work examines reforms and movements such as vouchers, charter schools, tuition tax credits, and home schooling that seek to decentralize and deregulate educational governance. He focuses on outcomes anticipated by reformers in areas such as increased innovation and higher levels of achievement, exploring the frequent disconnect between research findings and policy advocacy. He is currently investigating the organizational behavior of schools and districts in local education markets in metropolitan areas.