Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Two of the world’s most notable systemwide school choice reforms unfolded over similar time periods, with similar plans for reform, nearly 8,000 miles apart. In Qatar, after leaders asked the RAND Corporation to present options for improving its Ministry-run education system, Qatar chose a charter school model and moved toward a national system of independent schools in 2004. In New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina devastated the public school system in 2005, the city turned to a citywide charter school model to replace the traditional district. Although the reform models were similar, the outcomes differed. Qatar abandoned its independent school reforms in 2017, vowing to restore a more centralized approach to education. When the city of New Orleans took control of its schools back from the state of Louisiana around that same time, it chose to essentially keep its citywide charter system intact.

Why did reforms that looked so similar on paper play out so differently in practice? This study examines and compares the school choice reforms in Qatar and New Orleans. We have conducted over 20 interviews with individuals who experienced each of these reforms—policymakers, system architects, educators, critics, researchers, and others—and reviewed documents and data related to the reforms. Our preliminary work indicates some similar missteps in the two locales, particularly with how government leaders engaged community members. However, clear differences exist. These differences include the varying levels of restraint shown by government officials in preserving school autonomy and the standards used to define success.