CER to release 2026 charter school law rankings on Aug. 4

The Center for Education Reform will publish its 2026 National Charter School Law Rankings & Scorecard on Aug. 4 as charter leaders gather in New Orleans for the National Charter Schools Conference. The report will assess how state laws shape charter school growth, with Iowa’s rapid rise and long-running policy differences among the key takeaways.

Why it matters: - Charter school growth still hinges on state law, not just demand, test scores or politics. - CER’s rankings aim to show which states make it easier for charter schools to open, expand and serve families. - The 2026 scorecard is expected to highlight major shifts in state policy, including Iowa’s rise into the Top Ten.

What happened: - The Center for Education Reform said it will release its 2026 National Charter School Law Rankings & Scorecard on Aug. 4. - The announcement came as thousands of charter school educators, school leaders, policymakers and advocates gathered in New Orleans for the National Charter Schools Conference. - CER also highlighted Patricia Brantley, CEO of Friendship Public Charter School, as a recognized leader at the conference. - Friendship Public Charter School has served Washington, D.C. families for more than three decades. - CER said the full rankings and scorecard will be available at the rankings page. - Historical rankings and trends are also available at the historical rankings page.

The details: - CER has published its charter school law rankings for 30 years. - The analysis focuses on the laws that determine whether charter schools can start, grow, replicate and operate successfully. - CER said Iowa has moved from one of the weakest charter school law states to the Top Ten in just a few years. - CER described that shift as one of the most significant turnarounds in charter school policy history. - CER said states with strong charter laws early on have mostly stayed leaders. - States with weak or heavily restricted laws have continued to lag. - The 2026 report will include state rankings, grades, analysis of major policy developments and lessons from more than three decades of charter school law changes. - Brantley said strong legal frameworks let leaders focus on building schools that work for every child. - Brantley said weak laws force leaders to spend more time fighting the system than serving students. - Friendship Public Charter School is one of the nation’s first Black-led charter school networks. - Brantley is a Yass Prize recipient. - CER said several Yass Prize alumni and finalists are among the charter leaders gathering in New Orleans.

Between the lines: - CER is framing the debate around policy architecture rather than school-level outcomes alone. - The organization is arguing that long-term charter performance reflects the strength or weakness of the legal environment a state creates. - Iowa’s jump is being used as a signal that policy changes can move quickly when lawmakers open the sector. - The conference setting gives CER a national audience of the exact stakeholders who influence charter law.

What's next: - CER will publish the full 2026 National Charter School Law Rankings & Scorecard on Aug. 4. - The release will likely renew comparisons among states over charter access, growth rules and operational freedom. - Charter school advocates will continue using the rankings as a benchmark for policy debates and legislative change. - More information is available at CER’s rankings page.