National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education

Working Paper: School Autonomy and Its Impact

In analyzing data from principal surveys and case studies at a broad sample of schools in Los Angeles from 2011 to 2014, Ayesha K. Hashim, Susan C. Bush-Mecenas, and Katharine O. Strunk find wide variation in the implementation of autonomy and close association between faithful implementation and better instruction.

Puerto Rico Charter Sector to Take Off

Working Paper: Liberia's Experiment

In assessing an analysis of the first year of a three-year randomized control study of a public-private partnership called Partnership Schools for Liberia, Steven J. Klees raises important questions about methodology and ideology. The study involves 93 public primary schools managed by eight external contractors.

The Rise of KIPP, etc.

Gorsuch Makes His Mark

Working Paper: Colombian Charter School Management

In this study of charter school management of teachers and resources in Bogotá, D. Brent Edwards Jr. and Stephanie M. Hall build on research from a 2015 NCSPE working paper by Edwards and Hilary Hartley focused on the authorization and evaluation of charter schools in Colombia’s capital. Among the authors’ salient findings is that teachers in Bogotá’s charter schools must be more credentialed than their counterparts at traditional public schools yet they work longer hours, earn less money, and have no job security. 

Working Paper: Low-Fee Private Schools in India

Across the developing world over the past two decades, low-fee private schools have opened their doors and generated controversy. Advocates argue that these schools fill a void created by state failure; deliver better education by making operators dependent on parental satisfaction; and catalyze government-run schools to improve through competition. Opponents contend such schools typically cannot accommodate children with learning disabilities; charge more than many poor families can afford, even though fees may seem nominal; and lack the accountability necessary to curb venal conduct. In “Low-Fee Private Schools in India: The Emerging Fault Lines,” Tamo Chattopadhay and Maya Roy illuminate this controversy by focusing on central challenges.