State Charter Laws Rankings Database Released

“It’s very important to have better, clearer charter laws – laws that enable innovation, promote transparency about how charter schools perform and how they are held accountable, and provide fair access to public funds and facilities. We’re encouraged that the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools supports creation of better charter school laws as models of learning, and we encourage authorizers to hold charters accountable for student performance.”

– Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan

With that quote, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools launched, their “State Charter Laws Rankings Database,” a unique, highly interactive mini-site that allows visitors to review the laws governing charter schools in all states and across 20 categories.  The site uses color coded maps, animated text panes, pop-up help windows, and rich cross-linking to provide a compelling research experience.

New Signature worked closely with Alliance researchers to bring the data to life.  Visitors can easily navigate through the site to examine the details of charter laws on a state-by-state basis or to compare multiple states across several categories.  Existing state laws can be contrasted and scored against the Alliance’s “Model Law” and scores can be viewed on color-coded maps, a 1-4 star rating system or numerically.

This represents another outstanding example of how publishers can adapt and extend their research products to use the inherently interactive nature of the web create a more vital, entertaining, and persuasive impact.