The computer revolution has contributed greatly to the increased use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, and GIS is now being used to inform education policy. This paper introduces the technology of GIS to education researchers and policy analysts and illustrates its use with some recent research on charter schools. Its potential as an analytic tool in education research is explored. A GIS is a computer-based technology that allows one to create, store, and manipulate geographically referenced information. A GIS can perform queries and statistical analyses on spreadsheet-type data, producing digital maps that contain features in the form of points, lines, or polygons. A GIS was useful in the investigation of whether Arizona charter schools, as schools of choice, had the potential to separate students along racial lines. (Contains 2 figures and 22 endnotes.) (SLD)