California was the second state in the country (after Minnesota) to enact charter school legislation when lawmakers passed the Charter Schools Act of 1992. The intent was to allow groups of educators, community members, parents, or others to create an alternative type of public school.

Charters were to operate outside the regular school district governance structure and be free from most regulations that other public schools must comply with. In return, these schools were supposed to be more accountable for student achievement than traditional public schools, with charters subject to closure if they did not meet performance goals. This combination of freedom and accountability was meant to spur innovation and instill choice and competition in the public school system.

Since 1992, the state has significantly amended and expanded its policies related to charter schools, but the premise has remained largely intact. Another constant has been interest in how the academic performance of charter schools compares to that of traditional public schools.

In this section:

Charter School History and Policy
Selected Charter School Laws and Policies
Charter School Performance

For more information about charter school funding, see Charter Schools in the Finance System section.