Skip to content

PARENT POWER!

  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index
Menu
  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index

PARENT POWER!

  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index
Menu
  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index

PARENT POWER!

  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index
Menu
  • National Overview
  • Select Your State
  • About The Index

Maryland

U.S.
Rank

#34
Overall PPI Score:
63.3%
PPI Grade Key:
← Back to Maryland state overview
A
B
C
D
F
  • Opportunity
  • Innovation
  • Policy Environment

Charter Schools

Score:

62%

Grade:

D

Rank:

#41

With a charter environment which primarily operates in Baltimore, despite much needed improvements in most of the state’s 23 counties, the districts that control those counties wield enormous power in the legislature, making any improvements highly unlikely. 

Fast Facts:

Law passed: 2003

Most recently amended: 2015

Number of charter schools: 50

Number of charter students: 22,882

Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No

Virtual charters allowed? No

Charter Law Analysis:

AUTHORIZERS: Local school districts are the only authorizer for the majority of charter schools. The state board can authorize restructured charters as well as schools that appeal denials to the state board and are reversed.

GROWTH: The state places no formal cap on the number of schools that can be authorized. However, because school districts are vested with authorizing and regulatory authority, there is an implicit cap on charter school growth— other than Baltimore within a few years of the law’s passage, districts do not typically authorize schools they see as competitors. 

OPERATIONS: Charters in Maryland are subject to all of the same regulations that apply to all public schools, including collective bargaining agreements, though they can apply to the state Board of Education for exemptions. These requirements drastically limit charter school autonomy, innovation, and success. 

EQUITY:

A 2007 Maryland Court of Appeals ruling reaffirmed the State Board of Education’s decision that the law requires charter students be funded in a “commensurate” manner and at the same level as traditional public schools. However, school districts set charter school funding first, and appealing inequities in funding to the Board can be an onerous process. Funding inequities persist. In reality, they receive, on average, only two-thirds of the total funding the traditional district schools receive.

Learn More:

Maryland Charter School Law

Maryland Alliance of Public Charter Schools

Choice Programs (Scholarships, Vouchers, Tax Credits, etc.)

Score:

65%

Grade:

D

Rank:

#18

 A small “boost” in the state’s private scholarship program helps low-income families to choose the private school of their choice, bringing the low-scoring state just a little closer to education opportunity for all.

Fast Facts:

Law enacted: 2016

Number of programs: 1

Statewide Participation: 3,168

Types of programs: Voucher

Choice Laws & Analysis:

Voucher
Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program
There are more than 2,500 students participating in the 2020-2021 school year, with over 1,300 currently on the waiting list. In April 2021, HB 588 expanded the program’s budget to $10 million for the first time in state history. Students are eligible if their family income does not exceed 100% of the federal free and reduced- price lunch program. The program does not have an enrollment cap.

Learn More:

EdChoice Analysis on Maryland

Federation for Children Choice Program Information

2019 ALEC Report Card on American Education

Teacher Quality

Score:

73%

Grade:

C

Rank:

#24

“Maryland does not collect or publicly report data that connect student growth to teacher preparation programs,” nor supports linking pay to performance.

TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 73%
General Teacher Preparation 62%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 75%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 73%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 82%
Alternate Routes 75%  

STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 67%
Hiring 70%
Retaining Effective Teachers 63%

TEACHER EVALUATION: 78%

TEACHER COMPENSATION: 72%

Learn More:

National Council for Teacher Quality State Teacher Policy Database

Charter Schools

Score:

62%

Grade:

D

Rank:

#41

With a charter environment which primarily operates in Baltimore, despite much needed improvements in most of the state’s 23 counties, the districts that control those counties wield enormous power in the legislature, making any improvements highly unlikely. 

Fast Facts:

Law passed: 2003

Most recently amended: 2015

Number of charter schools: 50

Number of charter students: 22,882

Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No

Virtual charters allowed? No

Charter Law Analysis:

AUTHORIZERS: Local school districts are the only authorizer for the majority of charter schools. The state board can authorize restructured charters as well as schools that appeal denials to the state board and are reversed.

GROWTH: The state places no formal cap on the number of schools that can be authorized. However, because school districts are vested with authorizing and regulatory authority, there is an implicit cap on charter school growth— other than Baltimore within a few years of the law’s passage, districts do not typically authorize schools they see as competitors. 

OPERATIONS: Charters in Maryland are subject to all of the same regulations that apply to all public schools, including collective bargaining agreements, though they can apply to the state Board of Education for exemptions. These requirements drastically limit charter school autonomy, innovation, and success. 

EQUITY:

A 2007 Maryland Court of Appeals ruling reaffirmed the State Board of Education’s decision that the law requires charter students be funded in a “commensurate” manner and at the same level as traditional public schools. However, school districts set charter school funding first, and appealing inequities in funding to the Board can be an onerous process. Funding inequities persist. In reality, they receive, on average, only two-thirds of the total funding the traditional district schools receive.

Learn More:

Maryland Charter School Law

Maryland Alliance of Public Charter Schools

Choice Programs (Scholarships, Vouchers, Tax Credits, etc.)

Score:

65%

Grade:

D

Rank:

#18

 A small “boost” in the state’s private scholarship program helps low-income families to choose the private school of their choice, bringing the low-scoring state just a little closer to education opportunity for all.

Fast Facts:

Law enacted: 2016

Number of programs: 1

Statewide Participation: 3,168

Types of programs: Voucher

Choice Laws & Analysis:

Voucher
Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program
There are more than 2,500 students participating in the 2020-2021 school year, with over 1,300 currently on the waiting list. In April 2021, HB 588 expanded the program’s budget to $10 million for the first time in state history. Students are eligible if their family income does not exceed 100% of the federal free and reduced- price lunch program. The program does not have an enrollment cap.

Learn More:

EdChoice Analysis on Maryland

Federation for Children Choice Program Information

2019 ALEC Report Card on American Education

Teacher Quality

Score:

73%

Grade:

C

Rank:

#24

“Maryland does not collect or publicly report data that connect student growth to teacher preparation programs,” nor supports linking pay to performance.

TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 73%
General Teacher Preparation 62%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 75%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 73%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 82%
Alternate Routes 75%  

STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 67%
Hiring 70%
Retaining Effective Teachers 63%

TEACHER EVALUATION: 78%

TEACHER COMPENSATION: 72%

Learn More:

National Council for Teacher Quality State Teacher Policy Database

Digital & Personalized Learning

Digital Learning:

Score:

62%

Grade:

D

Rank:

#49

Maryland has digital learning standards for students and educators, and provides many other resources and digital tools for schools. The state promotes digital learning in districts by using Open Educational Resources (OER), providing resources on their state digital management system econnect, and creating a State Educational Technology Plan.

Maryland’s Digital Learning Framework was designed by the Maryland Instructional Technology Advisory Council (MITAC) to encourage school districts to implement blended learning models in their classrooms. The framework outlines five guiding principles that range from personalized learning instruction, to technology infrastructure implementation.  

Bandwidth: “99.5% of students in Maryland can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds. But there is still work to be done. 4,573 students still need more bandwidth for digital learning.”

Personalized Learning:

Maryland does not appear to have any policies in place to promote personalized learning in districts and schools.

Learn More:

Digital Learning Framework

COVID-19 Response

Maryland’s initial response to the COVID crisis provided  little guidance to teachers and schools on developing remote learning plans or setting expectations for districts to do remote learning. Districts varied widely in their remote learning offerings, with some providing excellent instruction daily and some providing little or none. The state also did little to ensure students had wifi and devices. As of April, the remote learning information was a single page as a PDF.

Governor Hogan announced schools would be closed for two weeks on March 12th, and it was extended to April 24th on March 25th. Maryland students received no instruction between Hogan’s announcement on March 12th and the first week of April. Since then, however, the state has focused on reopening strategies, improved communications through weekly e-newsletters, had weekly meetings with superintendents, and provided many more resources, primarily through a new website, here.

The thorough reopening guidelines, were released in June.

Several school districts have announced virtual-only instruction for the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, including Montgomery County Public Schools, the state’s largest district. That county’s health department also ordered all private schools to be virtual-only, which was overturned by the governor. All districts had to submit reopening plans by August 14, and could have in-person instruction as long as they follow federal and state health recommendations.

Fast Facts

4th Grade Math Proficiency:

31%

8th Grade Math Proficiency:

25%

12th Grade Math Proficiency:

24% (nat'l average)

4th Grade Reading Proficiency:

31%

8th Grade Reading Proficiency:

32%

12th Grade Reading Proficiency:

37% (nat'l average)

Graduation Rate:

87%

Average SAT Score:

1075/1600

Average ACT Score:

24.4/36

Public School Enrollment:

881,461

Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:

2.5%

Average Student Funding:

$15,489.00
Digital & Personalized Learning
Digital Learning:

Score:

62%

Grade:

D

Rank:

#49

Maryland has digital learning standards for students and educators, and provides many other resources and digital tools for schools. The state promotes digital learning in districts by using Open Educational Resources (OER), providing resources on their state digital management system econnect, and creating a State Educational Technology Plan.

Maryland’s Digital Learning Framework was designed by the Maryland Instructional Technology Advisory Council (MITAC) to encourage school districts to implement blended learning models in their classrooms. The framework outlines five guiding principles that range from personalized learning instruction, to technology infrastructure implementation.  

Bandwidth: “99.5% of students in Maryland can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds. But there is still work to be done. 4,573 students still need more bandwidth for digital learning.”

Personalized Learning:

Maryland does not appear to have any policies in place to promote personalized learning in districts and schools.

Learn More:

Digital Learning Framework

COVID-19 Response

Maryland’s initial response to the COVID crisis provided  little guidance to teachers and schools on developing remote learning plans or setting expectations for districts to do remote learning. Districts varied widely in their remote learning offerings, with some providing excellent instruction daily and some providing little or none. The state also did little to ensure students had wifi and devices. As of April, the remote learning information was a single page as a PDF.

Governor Hogan announced schools would be closed for two weeks on March 12th, and it was extended to April 24th on March 25th. Maryland students received no instruction between Hogan’s announcement on March 12th and the first week of April. Since then, however, the state has focused on reopening strategies, improved communications through weekly e-newsletters, had weekly meetings with superintendents, and provided many more resources, primarily through a new website, here.

The thorough reopening guidelines, were released in June.

Several school districts have announced virtual-only instruction for the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, including Montgomery County Public Schools, the state’s largest district. That county’s health department also ordered all private schools to be virtual-only, which was overturned by the governor. All districts had to submit reopening plans by August 14, and could have in-person instruction as long as they follow federal and state health recommendations.

Fast Facts

4th Grade Math Proficiency:

31%

8th Grade Math Proficiency:

25%

12th Grade Math Proficiency:

24% (nat’l average)

4th Grade Reading Proficiency:

31%

8th Grade Reading Proficiency:

32%

12th Grade Reading Proficiency:

37% (nat’l average)

Graduation Rate:

87%

Average SAT Score:

1075/1600

Average ACT Score:

24.4/36

Public School Enrollment:

881,461

Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:

2.5%

Average Student Funding:

$15,489.00

Leadership

Your governor:

Wes Moore (D)

First term begins in 2023 (two-term limit)

Whatever Governor-elect Wes Moore’s views once were, the race for Governor has produced an apparent change of heart, in which he faithfully follows the Maryland Education Association’s positions. For example, he proposes that: “As governor, I will support efforts to ensure teachers have the ability to include class sizes in their collective bargaining agreements.” Moore does not support the expansion of charter schools, saying that he wanted to focus on improving public school districts but wanted to ensure accountability for current charters. This is in contrast to personal statements he has made and his work as CEO from 2017-21 of the Robin Hood Foundation where he supported dozens of public charter schools in New York City. 

State Legislature:

The majority in the state legislature generally continues to take the positions of the Maryland Teachers Association (whose building sits across the street) on most issues and were it not for an affable Governor more might be lost.

Constitutional Issues

“The Maryland Constitution does not contain a Blaine Amendment but Maryland courts have a long tradition of reading its Compelled Support Clause narrowly. In more recent decisions, the court has noted that even direct grants to private educational institutions are acceptable when the state has not attempted to provide universal education at that level. Vouchers, which provide money directly to students and parents and only incidentally benefit the schools they choose to attend, are therefore likely to survive constitutional scrutiny.” (Institute for Justice)

Learn More:

Institute for Justice: Maryland School Choice and State Constitution

Transparency

School and district report cards are easily accessible from Maryland’s DOE homepage under Quick Links. Reports are written in a clear format, and have a summative rating of overall performance as well as a state average score which is a useful feature for parents. Report is comprehensive and includes data on academic achievement, progress, English language proficiency, school quality indicators and demographics. Information on their private school choice program is found by clicking Spotlight, then Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST).

School board elections are during the general election cycle, which gives parents more power in their decision making because of higher voter turnout.

Leadership
Your governor:

Wes Moore (D)

First term begins in 2023 (two-term limit)

Whatever Governor-elect Wes Moore’s views once were, the race for Governor has produced an apparent change of heart, in which he faithfully follows the Maryland Education Association’s positions. For example, he proposes that: “As governor, I will support efforts to ensure teachers have the ability to include class sizes in their collective bargaining agreements.” Moore does not support the expansion of charter schools, saying that he wanted to focus on improving public school districts but wanted to ensure accountability for current charters. This is in contrast to personal statements he has made and his work as CEO from 2017-21 of the Robin Hood Foundation where he supported dozens of public charter schools in New York City. 

State Legislature:

The majority in the state legislature generally continues to take the positions of the Maryland Teachers Association (whose building sits across the street) on most issues and were it not for an affable Governor more might be lost.

Constitutional Issues

“The Maryland Constitution does not contain a Blaine Amendment but Maryland courts have a long tradition of reading its Compelled Support Clause narrowly. In more recent decisions, the court has noted that even direct grants to private educational institutions are acceptable when the state has not attempted to provide universal education at that level. Vouchers, which provide money directly to students and parents and only incidentally benefit the schools they choose to attend, are therefore likely to survive constitutional scrutiny.” (Institute for Justice)

Learn More:

Institute for Justice: Maryland School Choice and State Constitution

Transparency

School and district report cards are easily accessible from Maryland’s DOE homepage under Quick Links. Reports are written in a clear format, and have a summative rating of overall performance as well as a state average score which is a useful feature for parents. Report is comprehensive and includes data on academic achievement, progress, English language proficiency, school quality indicators and demographics. Information on their private school choice program is found by clicking Spotlight, then Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST).

School board elections are during the general election cycle, which gives parents more power in their decision making because of higher voter turnout.

Download State Rankings

State Organizations

PPI Resources

Evaluate Your Schools

Stay Informed

Select Your State

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Charter Schools

Charter schools are public schools, open by choice, free from most rules and regulations that hamper traditional public schools and held accountable for results.

Since 1991, when charter schools were first established in Minnesota, the principle has remained the same — increased operational autonomy in exchange for increased accountability for outcomes. This freedom to innovate allows academically excellent charter schools to flourish.

As of 2020, there were more than 7,300 charter schools across the country with more than 3.3 million students, with demand higher everywhere they are located. Forty-six states, including Washington, D.C. have charter school laws. West Virginia enacted the most recent law in 2019. All charter laws are not created equal, however, and in fact, many are so flawed that they allow for only minimal opportunity for parents. PPI draws from CER’s newest Charter School Law Rankings and Scorecard, produced in the summer of 2020. For the US as a whole, the glass is more empty than full when it comes to meaningful charter choices.

Since 1996, CER has researched, analyzed, and ranked charter school laws, taking the content of each law into consideration as well as how it impacts charter schools on the ground. This Parent Power Index looks at four main areas of each state’s law:

If it allows for multiple authorizers, and if applicants have the ability to appeal a denial; whether it allows for growth, particularly with no caps on number of schools or enrollment; if schools and teachers have freedom to innovate; and if there is equitable funding of schools, including for facilities and transportation.

Charter schools are the most analyzed public school reform in decades. Since 1996, CER has studied their impact, their environment, and their practice and made recommendations for how to improve each law. The Parent Power Index charter score is based on whether the law allows for freedom and flexibility that can ensure parents, teachers and the general public are able to build vibrant, successful charter schools without undue interference from flawed state regulators, with equitable funding and parents in the driver’s seat. More about how this works can be found in CER publications, most notably Charting a New Course and The Future of School.

In addition, past rankings document how states have grown or confined charter schools and what best practices should be followed. Finally CER has provided a model charter school law for policymakers that is the standard bearer for advocates who believe that parents, not systems, should drive education.

Choice Programs

Educational choice is best defined as the availability of a multitude of public programs that provide parents with the ability to include private and religious entities – schools, tutoring, and other organizations – in their choices. Those programs are enacted at the state level, allowing in a wide variety of ways that the funds allocated for education in a state either follow the student to the institution the parent chooses or, as in the case of tax credits, public funds are redistributed to support the choices parents make, rather than automatically going to government based school districts.

These options are often referred to as scholarship programs, vouchers, tax credits, education accounts and more.

The existence of a higher degree of educational choice in a community or state, particularly for lower income students, has been found to be a significant factor in improving education and ensuring all students have access to the best school that meets their individual needs. Where once private options were only available to the more advantaged, most choice programs today ensure that those without resources have the power to shape their student’s education and invest in their future.

PPI 2020 assesses the extent to which every state gives families better and more abundant educational options through various mechanisms. Choice programs are analyzed and evaluated on their potential to reach all children across a state and for the degree to which they can actually support the full choice of parents, as opposed to only providing a modest amount of financial support. Programs where a significant population of parents can obtain scholarships or vouchers to send their children to the school of their choice score higher than those that have limitations based on geography, income, and student eligibility constraints.

To determine scores, PPI relies on well-established organizations which study, advance and support such programs. The scores were developed with this lens, and on information and ratings from EdChoice’s School Choice in America Dashboard, American Legislative Exchange Council’s Report Card on American Education: 23rd Edition, and American Federation for Children’s School Choice Interactive Map.

Teacher Quality

Teacher Quality is an equally important facet of ensuring greater educational opportunity. There is a direct correlation between quality teachers and student achievement, and teachers have the power to foster highly effective learning environments and leave a lasting impact on the future of their students. State teacher policies are critical in ensuring that students have the opportunity to receive the best education possible. Without schools full of well-prepared teachers who are held accountable either directly to the parent or to taxpayers for student achievement, opportunity can be meaningless. Most states vary widely in the criteria used to train, hire, retain, evaluate, reward and advance teachers, and local rules also influence that criteria greatly, as do teachers unions. PPI looked again to the expert analysis of the National Council of Teacher Quality, and from several aspects of their work PPI extrapolated final teacher quality scores. (NCTQ does not grade each state.)

Relying solely on the rich data collected from the National Council on Teacher Quality, states are measured by across a wide range of policy categories: Training and Recruitment, Staffing and Support, Evaluation, and Compensation. The score is by no means comprehensive about teacher quality across every community and state, but it is based on the extent to which states rigorously expect, manage and measure different aspects of teacher training, hiring, evaluation and compensation. States score higher when they have strong, data-driven, performance-based accountability systems that ensure teachers are rewarded, retained, and advanced based on their effectiveness. Likewise, states that establish rigorous teacher preparation programs and offer alternative licensing programs earn higher scores.

For more information about the Teacher Quality landscape, please see the National Council on Teacher Quality’s detailed analysis in their State Teacher Policy Database.

Innovation

States are measured on their increasing commitment to and practice of innovative approaches to education that include digital learning models and pathways, full or in part, encouraging personalized learning through focus on competency and mastery – even on a pilot level – or by allowing flexibility in schools and school districts that want to do it. Personalized learning models value mastery of material over traditional subject matter time tests, and competency over end of course grades. While these practices are best decided locally, closest to the student, states can motivate, incentivize, fund, discourage or encourage.

To determine scores, the PPI drew heavily from ExcelinEd’s 2019 State Progress Toward Next Generation Learning, Aurora Institute’s 2020 Future-Focused State Policy Actions to Transform K-12 Education, and KnowledgeWorks’ 2019 State Policy Framework for Personalized Learning.

COVID-19 Response

When COVID-19 reached our shores in early 2020, states were forced to close their schools for in-person instruction. Whether and how to continue teaching and set expectations for continued learning outside of the classroom was a big debate. Many states and schools quickly pivoted to delivering education remotely, either through technology enabled tools or with low-tech paper packets and phone calls, or a combination of both. The response from schools and school districts varied widely, with some being willing to adapt and some actually discouraging both teaching and learning. CER tracked those responses (and continues to do so, given the fluidity of the situation). States that were encouraging, set expectations, and demanded that schools figure out whatever they could to keep moving students forward, tended to have more schools and districts that responded well and worked to deliver education regardless of challenges. Many states that had digital or virtual learning programs in place were able to make a more seamless shift. Innovative leaders at local and state levels rose to the occasion. But many states and localities dragged their feet and, in some cases, outright discouraged schooling to keep going, including forbidding teachers in some areas to be required to do any face to face teaching via technology.

States were evaluated based on reviewing their official notices and declarations, and by reviewing a broad array of surveys and data many groups have been maintaining. This score also factors in states’ prior commitments to expanding broadband and internet access and how they worked to provide devices to keep students learning and engaged.

What was, and is, a challenging and unprecedented time for schools, teachers, and parents was also an opportunity to look at states’ and schools’ abilities to adapt, be flexible, and innovate.

For more on Education Innovation, check out the CER ACTION Series:

  • Virtual Events & Videos
  • Key Data
  • Resources
  • Publications

Leadership

Improving education opportunity and innovation requires leaders who boldly and courageously push forward to create or expand successful programs that allow a wide variety of educational choice and individualized programs to thrive. Governors and state legislators are the most important entities in each state to pave the way, or deter, expanded parent power. Some leaders pay lip service to issues, while others wake up with a fire in their belly to ensure that they are doing what they can every day to push through conventional wisdom and demand 21st century schooling opportunities for all students.

Whether or not your governor is the bold, fire-in-the-belly kind, or a passive applauder of others’ efforts, is evaluated to help you push or prod or applaud. PPI looks at their positions AND actions on charter schools, choice programs, innovation, and commitment to increasing educational opportunities for all students at every level and summarizes it for you here. You have the power to elect leaders who prioritize parents and students!

Constitutional Issues

The ability for states to enact educational change can be significantly limited depending on certain provisions in state constitutions.

The most common clause that limits educational opportunity in most states are “Blaine Amendments” – named after 19th century Congressman James Blaine nearly 150 years ago. Historically, these provisions in 37 state constitutions were either interpreted to restrict educational choice programs that include private schools or have been a deterrent for many programs being considered, let alone enacted.

This issue received a great deal of press leading up to and following the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 30, 2020 decision in the case of Espinoza vs Montana Department of Revenue, a case that dealt with Montana’s Blaine Amendment. That landmark decision found that the U.S. Constitution “forbids states from excluding religious schools as options for families participating in educational choice programs, including through Blaine Amendments.”

As a result, most states have a new path to enact programs that provide options for families, including religious schools. Their individual versions of Blaine Amendments can either be nullified with attorney generals’ opinions, with legislation or with both. Additional restrictions on expanded opportunity are often dedicated by what is called a Compelled Support Clause where dated constitutional language restricts public funding to government entities.

We look at each state’s particular constitutional issues, utilizing a number of sources, CER attorney analysis and the Institute for Justice’s research as our guide. Additional information about Espinoza and Blaine Amendments can be found here.

In addition, if states have other constitutional barriers to more opportunity, they are evaluated in this area.

Transparency

Transparency is a key element of providing great opportunities for students. Every parent needs and deserves full transparency of school-level data to allow them to make informed decisions and drive changes in how their students are educated. School report cards empower parents in their decision making by giving them access to meaningful and quality education data about a particular school or district. Report cards often provide information on student performance, student growth, attendance, graduation rates, demographics, teacher quality, school environment, assessments, and more. States that have greater transparency and accountability provide the public with data that is current, readily available, and easy to understand.

States are measured based on the transparency and accessibility of data for the average person looking to learn about their child’s school. States have more gas in the tank when school report cards are easily accessible from their state DOE homepage; report cards are comprehensive, user-friendly, and easy to understand; and information about educational options are readily available. Additionally, states score higher when they hold School Board Elections during the General Election cycle, as opposed to off-times of the year when turnout is low, because this tends to afford parents more power in their decision-making.