Twelve studies find that overall gains in charter schools are larger than other public schools; four find charter schools’ gains higher in certain significant categories of schools; six find comparable gains; and, four find that charter schools’ overall gains lagged behind traditional schools.
Source: Charter School Achievement: What We Know, July 2005 Update
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Download: 
http://www.ncspe.org/publications_files/OP113.pdf
Using demographic, financial, political, and performance data from 1980-2004, the authors of this paper examine the various forces in states and districts associated with the support (or lack of support) for charter schools. They find that there are several sources for the expanding charter school movement. One sizable contributor is the increase in population heterogeneity, both within states and within districts. States with growing income inequality and a rising Hispanic population were more likely to pass stronger laws. Systemically low student achievement also fuels the growth of charters. States with poor performance on the SAT and higher dropout rates were more likely to pass stronger laws. Having a highly unionized teaching force was found to reduce the likelihood that a charter law passes at the state level, but once a law was in place, highly unionized districts were more likely to have charter schools emerge within their boundaries.
Date: 2006
Source: National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education
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