Disadvantaged Students' Access to Charter Schools

This project uses an audit study approach to address whether charter schools limit access to disadvantaged applicants. We evaluate potential mechanisms by randomly varying child disability attributes. Specifically, we will send messages to a sample of randomly selected charter schools throughout the country from fictitious parental email accounts, inquiring about schools’ application process. “Treatment” inquiries will contain information about attributes of a potential applicant such as whether the child requires special education services, exhibits behavioral problems, or struggles academically. The extent to which charter school responses differ by student attributes (compared to a “control” message) will reveal information on the extent that they engage in discriminatory practices.