Dive Brief:
- Setbacks in the charter sector continue grabbing attention this week, with North Carolina announcing poor performance rankings for some schools and the Indiana State Board of Education contemplating limits on the state loans available to some charters.
- North Carolina has flagged four charters for failing to meet student growth requirements in its performance review process.
- The Indiana State Board of Education's potential loan limits, meanwhile, would be based on student enrollment, with at least one of the state's troubled schools seeing declines.
Dive Insight:
The moves come as states across the country grapple with the concerns brought on by rapid charter growth. Few states are likely to take the step Washington state's Supreme Court did and outright defund the schools, meaning states will have to find solutions within existing systems or create new ones.
Academic concerns have been at the forefront for many states, as new charter schools struggle to meet expectations or outperform traditional schools. At the same time, the federal government and some states, like Indiana, have put money toward supporting the growth and development of the sector. But how to hold charters accountable for how much money they receive and how they spend it remains a work in progress.