While the report recognized a
robust national
demand for more charter schools from parents and local communities, it found that 17 percent of charter schools reported academic gains that were significantly better than traditional public schools, while 37 percent of charter schools showed gains that were worse than their traditional public school counterparts, with 46 percent of charter schools
demonstrating no significant difference.
By
demanding that all commissioned interventions
demonstrate high levels of
robust evidence, commissioners make it more difficult for themselves to commission relationship support, and risk undermining the huge potential for innovation.