Improving the quality of charter school authorizing is critical for improving the quality of charter schools and the outcomes experienced by students and communities. As every charter school has an authorizer, improvement in authorizing has the power to be among the most significant catalysts in creating many more high-quality schools and closing…

As charter school authorizers and states have increased performance expectations and grown less hesitant to close failing schools, "authorizer shopping" has emerged as a growing threat to overall charter school quality. Authorizer shopping happens when a charter school chooses or changes its authorizer specifically to avoid…