Charter schools are public schools funded by the government but run under a charter by parents, educators, community groups or private organizations to encourage school autonomy and innovation. Currently the NCSC has five research projects on charter schools. Click here to read more about these projects.

Magnet schools are public schools that specialize in a particular area, like science or the arts, to encourage desegregation by drawing students from multiple neighborhoods and districts to the same school. The NCSC has one research project on magnet schools. Click here to read more about this project.

School vouchers are payments to parents—from private or public tax funds, or a combination thereof—for a child’s education expenses, usually at a private school. The NCSC has two projects on voucher programs. Click here to read about these projects.

What’s going on inside schools and classrooms to help students succeed? How do curriculum, organization, and instruction combine to make education effective? What role do parents play in the process? The NCSC’s three projects on this topic provide some answers to these and similar questions. To read about these projects, click here.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act aims to help improve the performance of America’s schools. Is it working? The NCSC has four research projects that shed light on the ins and outs of NCLB. To read about these projects, click here.

From education politics and funding to school competition and governance, three NCSC projects seek to unpack the systemic effects of school choice. To read about these projects, click here.