Research & Reports

A demographic and state-level analysis of public charter school and district public school enrollment trends.

This study examines the academic progress of charter school versus public school students over time.

2021 was a remarkable year in many ways for the charter school sector. While the nation continued struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic, PreK-12 education emerged as a critical issue across the country. 1.4 million students left district schools and a record number of new students enrolled in charter schools. Meanwhile, state legislators made bold changes to charter laws to meet the demand for even more high-quality public education options.

The Keystone Policy Center examined the data and analyzed how students in charter schools performed compared to students in district-managed schools across Colorado as the state emerged from pandemic shutdowns and interruptions to in-person learning.

We are proud of the work our public charter school partners and public school choice advocates are doing in these three states to create more educational opportunities and to improve outcomes for our students and families. In our states, close to 10 percent or more of students attend public charter schools and many more benefit from opportunities like open enrollment, magnet schools, innovation schools and—more recently—micro-schools and community-based learning societies.

Every three years the Colorado Department of Education is required by law to develop an objective report about the current state of charter public schools in Colorado. The 2019 edition of this report was recently released. What follows is a brief synopsis of some of the report’s main findings.