Evaluating the Impact of Charter Schools on Student Achievement: A Longitudinal Look at the Great Lakes States

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of charter schools on student achievement in the Great Lakes states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. This evaluation addresses two specific questions:

• How does student achievement in charter schools compare with student achievement in demographically similar, traditional public schools?
• Do charter schools show promise of being an effective strategy for improving student achievement over time, even if they are not yet outperforming traditional public schools?