Charter schools in North Carolina

Legislation authorizing charter schools in North Carolina was passed in 1996, and the first charter schools opened in fall 1997. Charter schools in North Carolina can be authorized by a local district, the state university, or the state Board of Education, but final approval must come from the state Board of Education. The analysis in this chapter is based primarily on administrative data provided by the North Carolina Education Research Data Center for five cohorts of students. Each cohort contains the universe of students in third grade in North Carolina public schools in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 and follows them through eighth grade or until the 2001–2002 school year, whichever comes first. The authors’ analysis is based on the specific choices charter school families made in five North Carolina metropolitan areas. The findings in the chapter raise serious concerns about North Carolina’s charter school program.

Duke Scholars

Author Helen F. Ladd Sanford School of Public Policy