A new study published Tuesday has found increased support for charter schools and private school voucher programs. The study suggests that Republican Party support for these programs had a strong influence on the increase. A charter school is a school that receives a special charter, or written rules, from a state government. These schools, a type of school choice, are publicly funded but operate independently from school districts. School voucher programs permit public funds to pay for students to attend a private or religious school. The findings by Education Next, were published by Harvard University’s Kennedy School and Stanford University. They come as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos promotes alternatives to traditional public schools.