By law, charter schools are public schools that are tuition-free and must be open to all students. Admission is determined by random lottery; there are no entrance exams or admissions requirements. Charter public schools are managed by public boards of trustees and follow the same laws and rules as district public schools.

In exchange for more flexibility, charter public schools must meet high standards of accountability to a range of stakeholders - education and public officials, teachers, families, and communities. They are overseen by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and are required to meet rigorous academic, financial, and operational standards.

Charter public schools in Massachusetts have a proven track record of helping students reach their full potential. Studies consistently show that charter students are some of the state’s highest achieving. Data continues to show that students that attend charter public schools in MA show higher rates of college enrollment and persistence compared to their district public school peers. Independent studies also show that charter public schools lead in teacher diversity and are closing the achievement gap between low-income, African American and Latino children and affluent, white children.

Massachusetts charter public school students are diverse and reflect their communities. Statewide data show that charter public schools enroll a higher percentage of high-needs students* than district public schools statewide.

Polling shows that Massachusetts voters believe parents should decide which public school will best serve the unique needs of their children, whether that be district, vocational or charter public schools. Demand for charter public schools has been strong since they first opened in 1995.

A 2015 study by the nonpartisan CREDO research center at Stanford University concluded that children in Massachusetts’ charter public schools gained an additional one and a half months of learning in reading and an additional two and a half months of learning in math per year (or for every year they attended a charter), compared to similar students in district public schools. In Boston, CREDO found that charter public schools provided students with 12 and 13 months additional learning time annually in reading and math, respectively.‡