PERC research is produced through collaboration between researchers from Research for Action and the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Research and Evaluation. For more information, please visit phledresearch.org.
Charter schools enroll about one third of all public school students in Philadelphia, and more than half of Philadelphia’s charter schools are independent – stand-alone schools managed by individual operators that are not part of a charter network. Like all charter schools, independent charter schools have inherent flexibility to innovate to meet student needs. However, educators at these schools may have fewer opportunities to learn with others about how to improve their craft. A key challenge is to maximize the benefits of being an independent charter school and minimize the drawbacks.
