Charter schools checkup.

• Author: Cunningham, Josh
• Position: TRENDS & TRANSITIONS - Brief article

School choice commanded state lawmakers' attention again this year--with all but two of the nation's 46 seated legislatures debating bills related to charter or private schools. Bills that focused on charter school policies alone numbered in the hundreds, with 53 of them ultimately passing in 24 states. The top five most common policy areas addressed by the new laws are:

Accountability--Regulating the oversight of charter schools, including reporting their academic or financial performance data.

Authorization--Establishing who can authorize and renew charter schools and what process they must follow.

Enrollment and admissions--Identifying who may attend charter schools, usually clarifying that students from all ethnic, economic and academic backgrounds have an equal opportunity.

Facilities--Addressing...