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Table 4.4. States with charter school caps, automatic exemptions, required teacher certification, and identification of special education responsibilities for charter schools, by state: 2017–18

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State State has a
cap on the
number of
charter
schools		 State law
provides
automatic
exemptions
from many
state and
district laws
and
regulations		   Teacher
certification
required		   State law
identifies special
education
services
responsibilities for
charter schools		  
United States1 21 29   37   42  
               
Alabama Yes Yes   No   Yes 2
Alaska No Yes   Yes   Yes 3
Arizona No Yes   No   Yes 4
Arkansas Yes No 5 No 5 Yes 2
California Yes Yes   Yes 6 Yes 7
               
Colorado No Yes   Yes 8 Yes 4
Connecticut Yes No 5 Yes 6 Yes 4
Delaware Yes Yes   Yes 6 Yes 2
District of Columbia Yes Yes   No   Yes 4
Florida No Yes   Yes   Yes 2
               
Georgia No No 5 No 5 Yes 3
Hawaii No No   Yes   Yes 2
Idaho No Yes   Yes 9 Yes 2
Illinois Yes Yes   Yes 10 Yes 3
Indiana No Yes 11 Yes 5 Yes 7
               
Iowa No No 5 Yes   Yes 4
Kansas No No 5 Yes   No  
Kentucky No Yes   Yes   No  
Louisiana No Yes   No   Yes 2
Maine Yes Yes   Yes 6 Yes 4
               
Maryland No No 5 Yes   No  
Massachusetts Yes Yes   Yes 6 Yes 4
Michigan Yes No 5 Yes   Yes 3
Minnesota No Yes   Yes   Yes 4
Mississippi Yes Yes   Yes 6 Yes 2
               
Missouri Yes Yes   Yes 6 Yes 4
Montana † †   †   †  
Nebraska † †   †   †  
Nevada No No 12 Yes 6 Yes 3
New Hampshire No Yes   Yes 6 Yes  
               
New Jersey No No 5 Yes   Yes 4
New Mexico Yes No 5 Yes   Yes 2
New York Yes Yes   Yes 6 Yes 4
North Carolina No Yes   Yes 6 Yes 3
North Dakota † †   †   †  
               
Ohio Yes Yes   Yes 6 Yes 7
Oklahoma Yes Yes   No   Yes 2
Oregon No Yes   Yes 6 Yes 2
Pennsylvania No Yes   Yes 6 Yes 7
Rhode Island Yes No 5 Yes   Yes 3
               
South Carolina No Yes   Yes 6 Yes 2
South Dakota † †   †   †  
Tennessee No No 5 Yes   Yes 3
Texas Yes Yes 13 No   Yes 2
Utah Yes No 5 Yes   Yes 2
               
Vermont † †   †   †  
Virginia No No 5 Yes   Yes 3
Washington Yes Yes   Yes 6 Yes 4
West Virginia † †   †   †  
Wisconsin Yes Yes 11 Yes 5 Yes 3
Wyoming No No 5 Yes   Yes 3
† Not applicable.      
1 Total reflects the number of "Yes" responses in the column.  
2 State law includes some of the model law’s requirements for special education responsibilities.  
3 State law includes a small number of the model law’s requirements for special education responsibilities.  
4 State law includes many of the model law's requirements for special education responsibilities.  
5 State law allows schools to apply for exemptions from this requirement.  
6 State law requires that some of a school's teachers be certified.  
7 State law includes all of the model law's requirements for special education responsibilities.  
8 In Colorado, certification is required unless a waiver is granted in the charter contract.  
9 Idaho requires a school’s teachers to be certified, although teachers may apply for a waiver or any of the limited alternative certification options provided by the state board of education.  
10 Illinois state law requires all of a school’s teachers to be certified for some charter schools, and requires some of a school’s teachers to be certified for other charter schools.  
11 State law provides automatic exemptions from many state and district laws and regulations for some schools, but not others.  
12 Nevada state law allows a charter school to submit a written request to the state superintendent of public instruction for a waiver from providing the days of instruction required by state law.  
13 For state-authorized charter schools, Texas state law provides automatic exemptions from many state and district laws and regulations. For district-authorized charter schools, the state law provides automatic exemptions from many state laws and regulations, but it does not provide automatic exemptions from many district laws and regulations.  
SOURCE: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Measuring up to the Model: A Ranking of State Public Charter School Laws (2018), retrieved March 12, 2018 from https://www.publiccharters.org/sites/default/files/documents/2018-01/2018%20MEASURING%20UP%20TO%20THE%20MODEL%20Final_0.pdf. Data Source.

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