Fast Facts:

Number of charter schools: 128

Number of charter students: 37,600

Cap on the number of schools allowed: Cap only on virtual charters.

Virtual charters allowed: Yes

Charter Law Analysis:

AUTHORIZERS: Local school boards only. Applicants must also submit a copy of the charter school application to the state board of education. Denied applications can be appealed to either the state board or to a state university, either of which can then authorize the charter school statewide.

GROWTH: Although the state does not cap the amount of brick and mortar charter schools that can operate, virtual charter schools may not enroll over 3 percent of the students in a district. Additionally, Oregon has many policies that make it difficult for successful charter schools to expand. Those policies include requirements for new applications when a successful school wants to expand and the requirement that schools with multiple campuses have multiple boards of directors.

OPERATIONS: Oregon's charter schools receive a blanket waiver from most regulations that apply to district schools. However, since school districts are the main authorizers in Oregon, charter schools are rarely permitted operational autonomy in practice.

EQUITY: The law provides a per-pupil funding amount for charters that is 80 percent of the weighted average daily maintenance formula for students in grades K-8 and 95 percent of the formula for students in grades 9-12. This formula assumes that charters and district schools serve the same student populations. Because charters often serve more low-income students than their district counterparts, funding inequities result. Furthermore, authorizers can retain up to 20 percent of charter school funding for "administrative" fees. These fees deepen the funding disparities between charter and district schools. Charter schools receive no per-pupil facilities funding.

USE OF STUDENT DATA IN EVALUATING TEACHER PREP

"Oregon does not currently use student achievement or growth data to hold teacher preparation programs accountable."

This is just one indicator from The National Council on Teacher Quality, which collects and analyzes states on how well their policies and practices lead to well-prepared teachers. They collect data on state laws and regulations concerning the preparation of teachers, the policies that govern their oversight and the contracts that guide their employment. Learn more about your state here.