Charter Schools

Jeanne M. Powers is Assistant Professor in the Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Arizona State University.

"This is a very ambitious undertaking by Powers! It will be a serious and comprehensive contribution to the knowledge base on charter schools, which is sorely needed these days." - Gary Miron, Ph.D., Professor of Education, Western Michigan University "Powers has convincingly demonstrated the necessity of examining any education reform from multiple points of view: the talk that spawns it; the local environment in which it is implemented; and the broader policy environment that shapes and limits it. Taking charter schools as the focus of her analysis, the message of Charter Schools:From Reform Imagery to Reform Reality is both a warning and a promise: whoever seeks to understand the complexities of education reform must be prepared to look across a wide and complex policy landscape." - Gene V Glass, Author of Fertilizers, Pills & Magnetic Strips: The Fate of Public Education in America "Powers offers a useful overview of the national charter school scene, including the development of legal frameworks for charter-prominent states such as Arizona and Michigan. Using national data sets from 1999-2000 and 2005-06, Powers presents useful information, including the characteristics of those who attend and work in charters, variations in program offerings and management, and more." - CHOICE

• Charter Schools in the Reform Imagination The Landscape of Charter School Reform State Level Policy Dynamics  Policy Implementation at the School Level  Policy Dynamics Part I:  Policy Contexts, School Foundings, and School Conflict  Policy Dynamics Part II: Schools and Shifts in Accountability Policies Looking Nationally at Policy Talk Versus Policy Implementation