The laws that govern how charter schools operate in the states and Washington, D.C., vary widely. Since 1996, the Center for Education Reform has ranked those laws “in an attempt to demonstrate how weak charter school laws create weak charter schools.”
The organization’s analysis concluded that Arizona’s charter school law is the best at fostering “the creation of diverse, independent public schools that provide a maximum number of families with options.”
According to the center, it evaluates the charter school laws based on “a battery of practices and policies, including authorizers, growth, operations, and equity.”
Here are the 10 states (and Washington, D.C.) ranked highest by the center.
State Score
Arizona 51
Washington, D.C. 49
Michigan 49
Minnesota 48
Florida 45
Indiana 44
Colorado 42.5
South Carolina 42
Texas 40
Utah 39.5