With forty states having legislation allowing for creation of these public-private hybrid models of public education, it is more important than ever for policy makers and communities to have evidence on the performance of charter schools. We need a clearer understanding of what works and to have reliable, independent evidence at the heart of this expanding debate.

Many expectations were set out for charter schools at the beginning of the reform over a decade and a half ago. Now that we have more mature and robust evidence on charter schools, and can move past the ideological debates that have plagued this reform, what do we actually know about charter school outcomes, and how has out knowledge evolved over the years in view of this evidence?

The following papers, each examining various aspects of charter schools, are forthcoming in Fall 2008:

• "Student Achievement in Charter Schools" - Gary Miron (Evaluation Center, Western Michigan University)
•  "Public-Private Parternships in Charter School Governance" - Penny Wohlstetter (University of Southern California) and Joanna Smith (University of Southern California)
• "Public Schools, Private Control: Educational Management Organizations, Charter School Management Organizations, and School Governance" - Janelle T. Scott (New York University) and Catherine C. DiMartino (New York University)
• "Technical vs. Institutional Environments and Charter School Resources" - Luis Huerta (Teachers College-Columbia University)
• "The Competitive Effects of Charter Schools on Public School Districts" - Yongmei Ni (University of Utah) and David Arsen (Michigan State University)
• "Charter Schools, Incentives, and Access" -Christopher Lubienski (University of Illinois) and Peter Weitzel (University of Illinois)
• "The Rhetoric and Reality of Racial Segregation and Charter Schools" -David Garcia (Arizona State University)
• "Charter School Admissions: The Role of State Legislatures in Creating a Diverse Student Body" -Suzanne Eckes (Indiana University)
• "The Political Economy of Chater School Research and Advocacy" -Christopher Lubienski (University of Illinois) and Peter Weitzel (University of Illinois)