In “What ‘school choice’ means in the era of Trump and DeVos,” Washington Post journalist Valerie Strauss explores the varied policies and programs proposed by U.S. school-choice advocates. Strauss' primer on the movement cites recent research from the Education Policy Initiative, which finds that charter schools in Michigan follow practices similar to their public school counterparts, contrary to what is seen in other states.
This analysis is based on the Michigan School Practices Survey, conducted by EPI researchers Susan Dynarski, Brian Jacob and Mahima Mahadevan, which measures the educational practices of charters and other public schools.
"We were surprised to find few differences in the practices of charter and traditional public schools in Michigan," said Dynarski. "Research in Boston and New York found charter schools had longer school days and years, and tended to follow a set of 'no excuses' practices."
The survey provides insight into statewide educational practices as U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos takes her education agenda from Michigan to the nation’s capital.