The US Department of Education recently released two reports which find that charter schools "are helping public schools and districts to improve." The first report is the largest review to date of the impact of charter schools on school systems and is based on interviews and visits to 49 school districts in five states. It finds that districts are changing their services and operations in response to the creation of charter schools, suggesting that competition can play a positive role in improving all schools. Readers may download both reports from the Department of Education site.