Arizona has the second-strongest charter school law in the country according to the 2024 National Charter School Law Rankings & Scorecard released by the Center for Education Reform (CER).
“Arizona charter schools have flourished for years with their exceptional performance over traditional public schools and unbridled learning approaches and options for students,” said CER’s Jeanne Allen. “It’s the strength of its law which provides substantial freedom and flexibility to innovate that has made this pioneering state a model for others, and which must be protected from the status quo’s constant challenges.”
Florida and Arizona are the only two states to earn an “A” for the second report in a row.
You can view the full 2024 Scorecard here.
Since 1996, the National Charter School Law Rankings & Scorecard has examined every charter school law and regulation in the country to determine how they work in practice and whether they accomplish their goal of creating a healthy, flourishing environment for charter schools to open and deliver great options for students.
The rankings score the laws in each state on a range of practices and policies, including charter school authorizers, growth, operations, and equity. States that provide opportunities to start and expand charter schools, fund charter schools equitably with traditional public schools, give charter schools freedom and autonomy, and have multiple, independent charter school authorizers tend to score higher than states that constrict charter schools with copious rules and regulations and rely solely on state boards or commissions to serve as authorizers.
Charter school laws are critical in shaping the overall policy environment that allows charter schools to flourish and without a strong law, states deny citizens the opportunity to create them.
As a result of its importance in assessing how much power parents have, the National Charter School Law Rankings & Scorecard is a key indicator of the Parent Power! Index 2024, which assesses the extent to which states provide parents with the power to make fundamental decisions governing their child’s education.
About the Center for Education Reform:
Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
