The Charter School Paradox sacdac.org

The Charter School Paradox The Charter School Paradox " ... authorizers, charter school advocates and policymakers must be willing and able to fulfill their end of the original charter school bargain, which is accountability in exchange for flexibility." ~CREDO report Charter Schools Might Not Be Better June 17, 2009 12:58 PM ET On average, charter schools are not performing as well as their traditional public-school peers, according to a new study that is being called the first national assessment of these school-choice options. The study, conducted by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University, compared the reading and math state achievement test scores of students in charter schools in 15 states and the District of Columbia—amounting to 70 percent of U.S. charter school students—to those of their virtual "twins" in regular schools who shared with them certain characteristics. The research found that 37 percent of charter schools posted math gains that were significantly below what students would have seen if they had enrolled in local traditional public schools. And 46 percent of charter schools posted math gains that were statistically indistinguishable from the average growth among their traditional public-school companions. That means that only 17 percent of charter schools have growth in math scores that exceeds that of their traditional public-school equivalents by a significant amount. In reading, charter students on average realized a growth that was less than their public-school counterparts but was not as statistically significant as differences in math achievement, researchers said. "We are worried by these results," Margaret Raymond, director of CREDO and lead author of the report, Multiple Choice: Charter School Performance in 16 States, said at a news conference. "This study shows that we've got a 2-to-1 margin of bad charters to good charters." Charter schools, free public schools that operate under their own mandate ("charter") rather than the overall district policies, are a staple of education reform agendas across the United States. Supporters say they improve public education by giving parents options and forcing schools to compete for students. The Stanford report already is riling up these schools' most ardent advocates. The Washington-based Center for Education Reform disputed the findings, saying that they're based on uncorrelated variables, contradictory demographics, and a virtual methodology. The organization said that comparing the test scores of charter-school students to their "virtual" peers in regular public schools—students who match the charter students' demographics, English language proficiency, and participation in special education or subsidized lunch programs—is simplistic and is a fundamental flaw in the research because no two students are the same. "More than 16 years of charter school research and analysis from CER shows that charter schools are outpacing their conventional public school peers with fewer resources and tremendous obstacles," the nonprofit group said in a news release. The CREDO report identified five states—Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, and Missouri—where charter schools had significantly higher learning gains than traditional schools. But the report contended that if charter schools are to flourish, their supporters must be willing to establish accountability in exchange for flexibility. The reluctance to close underperforming charters because of powerful community supporters hurts students and reflects poorly on charter schools as a whole, the report said. The research comes on the heels of a recent pledge by President Barack Obama's education secretary, Arne Duncan, to use $5 billion of the $100 billion in federal stimulus funds for education to press states on charter schools. "States that don't have charter school laws, or put artificial caps on the growth of charter schools, will jeopardize their application" for federal grant money, Duncan said in a call with reporters last week. Currently, 10 states lack laws that allow charter schools, and 26 others cap their enrollment. The Stanford report may offer some encouraging news for charter schools: Students in poverty and English-language learners outperformed their public-school peers in both reading and math. However, learning gains for black and Hispanic charter-school students were significantly lower than those of their traditional-school twins. But critics said those results demonstrated the flaws in the Stanford research: The overlap between lowincome/English-learner students and black/Hispanic students is so great, CER said, that it should be impossible to get such contradictory results. USNews.com Failing Charter Schools U.S. Charters Closed by Category (657 Schools) http://sacdac.org/Paradox.aspx[06/19/2009 9:30:53 AM] The Charter School Paradox Failing California Charter Schools Charter schools can fail for a number of reasons, and in this report, failures are broken down into eight general categories. The following explanations will help you to identify the reasons behind why charter schools fail. Academic: This applies to schools whose sponsors found them unable to meet the academic goals and performance targets set by the state or written in their charter. District: Applies to schools that were closed because its school district sponsor had issues with the independence of the charter and chose to cut it from the budget, or decided to close it as a cost saving measure. Some of the schools became involved in long, arduous fights with the district and due to additional costs of these lawsuits, were forced to close. Final control of these charter schools’ existence ultimately was with the district. http://sacdac.org/Paradox.aspx[06/19/2009 9:30:53 AM] The Charter School Paradox Facilities: Applies to schools that were unable to contract for a viable facility and had to close or voluntarily gave up their charter. While it is the charter’s obligation to find a facility, the roadblocks created by zoning boards, school districts, funding shortages and even community opposition make up the bulk of facilities problems that result in a school closing. Financial: Charters with budgetary problems resulting from involuntary causes, such as a lack of enrollment, insufficient funds, costs that exceeded projected revenues, etc. In most cases, these schools tried to become financially healthier, but for a variety of reasons, they could not sustain the institution. Many of these charters voluntarily returned their charter when the financial problems became too great. Mismanagement: Closures under this heading were due to deliberate actions on the part of organizers or sponsors, such as misspending, failure to provide adequate programs, materials, etc., failure to adhere to the school’s charter, or an overall lack of accountability. There can also be extreme cases of mismanagement such as fraud or theft, but these cases are rare. Schools in this category could also be called “bad-apples.” These problems are generally uncovered quickly and charters are closed before mismanagement affects student learning. Other/Unknown: A handful of charter schools close for reasons that do not fit into any of these categories, like schools that closed due to damage from Hurricane Katrina. Other school operators returned the charter with no explanation, and there are no recorded reasons for closure. CREDO at Stanford University CREDO at Stanford University was established to improve empirical evidence about education reform and student performance at the primary and secondary levels. CREDO at Stanford University supports education organizations and policymakers in using reliable research and program evaluation to assess the performance of education initiatives. CREDO's valuable insight helps educators and policymakers strengthen their focus on the results from innovative programs, curricula, policies or accountability practices. http://credo.stanford.edu NEW STANFORD REPORT FINDS SERIOUS QUALITY CHALLENGE IN NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOL SECTOR Report Recognizes Robust Demand, Supply and Exceptional Charters, Faults Quality Controls, Authorizers and Charter Caps Stanford, CA – A new report issued today by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University found that there is a wide variance in the quality of the nation’s several thousand charter schools with, in the aggregate, students in charter schools not faring as well as students in traditional public schools. While the report recognized a robust national demand for more charter schools from parents and local communities, it found that 17 percent of charter schools reported academic gains that were significantly better than traditional public schools, while 37 percent of charter schools showed gains that were worse than their traditional public school counterparts, with 46 percent of charter schools demonstrating no significant difference. The report found that the academic success of students in charter schools was affected by the individual state policy environment. States with caps limiting the number of charter schools reported significantly lower academic results than states without caps limiting charter growth. States that have the presence of multiple charter school authorizers also reported lower academic results than states with fewer authorizers in place. Finally, states with charter legislation allowing for appeals of previously denied charter school applications saw a small but significant increase in student http://sacdac.org/Paradox.aspx[06/19/2009 9:30:53 AM] The Charter School Paradox performance. The Stanford report, entitled, “Multiple Choice: Charter School Performance in 16 States,” is the first detailed national assessment of charter school impacts since its longitudinal, student-level analysis covers more than 70 percent of the nation’s students attending charter schools. The peerreviewed analysis looks at student achievement growth on state achievement tests in both reading and math with controls for student demographics and eligibility for program support such as free or reduced-price lunch and special education. The analysis includes the most current student achievement data from 15 states and the District of Columbia and gauges whether students who attend charter schools fare better than if they would have attended a traditional public school. “The issue of quality is the most pressing problem that the charter school movement faces,” said Dr. Margaret Raymond, director of CREDO at Stanford University. “The charter school movement continues to work hard to remove barriers to charter school entry into the market, making notable strides to level the playing field and improve access to facilities funding, but now it needs to equally focus on removing the barriers to exit, which means closing underperforming schools.” The report found several key positive findings regarding the academic performance of students attending charter schools. For students that are low income, charter schools had a larger and more positive effect than for similar students in traditional public schools. English Language Learner students also reported significantly better gains in charter schools, while special education students showed similar results to their traditional public school peers. The report also found that students do better in charter schools over time. While first year charter school students on average experienced a decline in learning, students in their second and third years in charter schools saw a significant reversal, experiencing positive achievement gains. The report found that achievement results varied by states that reported individual data. States with reading and math gains that were significantly higher for charter school students than would have occurred in traditional schools included: Arkansas, Colorado (Denver), Illinois (Chicago), Louisiana and Missouri. States with reading and math gains that were either mixed or were not different than their peers in the traditional public school system included: California, the District of Columbia, Georgia and North Carolina. States with reading and math gains that were significantly below their peers in the traditional public school system included: Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Texas. "If the supporters of charter schools fail to address the quality challenge, they run the risk of having it addressed for them," said Dr. Raymond. "If the charter school movement is to flourish, a deliberate and sustained effort to increase the proportion of high quality schools is essential. The replication of successful charter school models is one important element of this effort. On the other side of the equation, however, authorizers, charter school advocates and policymakers must be willing and able to fulfill their end of the original charter school bargain, which is accountability in exchange for flexibility." http://sacdac.org/Paradox.aspx[06/19/2009 9:30:53 AM] te & News 2nd Annual DAC Survey Charter School Paradox Board Meeting Agenda Board Meeting Video E21 Small High Schools ED Facts & Reports Sacramento Issues SAC City Community Voices Other Education News The Charter  " ... authorizers, charter school advocates and policymakers mus is accountability in exc  Charter Schools June 17, 2009 12:58 PM ET On average, charter schools are not performing as well as their trad national assessment of these school-choice options. The study, cond compared the reading and math state achievement test scores of stu 70 percent of U.S. charter school students—to those of their virtua research found that 37 percent of charter schools posted math gains in local traditional public schools. And 46 percent of charter schools http://sacdac.org/Paradox.aspx[06/19/2009 9:18:39 AM] The Charter School Paradox Padres/父æ¯/Родители/Parents Ways to Build Involvement About SAC City DAC What is a School Site Council Parent Rights under NCLB growth among their traditional public-school companions. That mea that of their traditional public-school equivalents by a significant am In reading, charter students on average realized a growth that was l differences in math achievement, researchers said. "We are worried by these results," Margaret Raymond, director of C in 16 States, said at a news conference. "This study shows that we've  Susan Sez Education News & Comment  Susan Sez DAC Chair Update & News 2nd Annual DAC Survey Charter School Paradox Board Meeting Agenda Board Meeting Video E21 Small High Schools ED Facts & Reports Sacramento Issues SAC City Community Voices Other Education News Padres/父æ¯/Родители/Parents Ways to Build Involvement About SAC City DAC What is a School Site Council Parent Rights under NCLB School Accountablity T  " ... authorizers,   Education News & Comment DAC Chair Update & News 2nd Annual DAC Survey Charter School Paradox Board Meeting Agenda Board Meeting Video  T  " ... authorizers, June 17, 2009 12:58 On average, charter national assessment compared the readin 70 percent of U.S. ch research found that in local traditional p growth among their that of their traditio In reading, charter s differences in math "We are worried by t in 16 States, said at a  Ch t h l f E21 Small High Schools ED Facts & Reports Sacramento Issues SAC City Community Voices Other Education News Padres/父æ¯/Родители/Parents Ways to Build Involvement About SAC City DAC What is a School Site Council Parent Rights under NCLB School Accountablity June 17, 2009 12:58 On average, charter national assessment compared the readin 70 percent of U.S. ch research found that 3 in local traditional pu growth among their that of their tradition In reading, charter s differences in math a "We are worried by t in 16 States, said at a  Ch t h l f Return to Top of Page California's charter schools get mixed scores in new study "New Report on California Charters: They can produce failing results for less cost than most Public Schools"" California's charter schools get mixed scores in new study USC researchers cite lapses in financial reporting, but say it appears that many are using public funds wisely, and that academic scores are fairly similar to those of public schools. By Mitchell Landsberg Lax financial reporting makes it difficult to assess the fiscal health of California charter schools, although the limited information available suggests that many are making efficient use of their public funds, according to a study released Wednesday by researchers at USC. http://sacdac.org/Paradox.aspx[06/19/2009 9:18:39 AM] The Charter School Paradox In its annual report on the health of the state's charter schools, USC's Center on Educational Governance also found that charters continue to outperform traditional public schools in English instruction but, paradoxically, do a worse job of lifting nonnative English speakers to fluency. And their overall math performance has slipped, lagging behind traditional public schools. Charters are public schools that are run independently, with only minimal oversight from school districts. There are now close to 700 charters in California, making them a significant part of the state's educational landscape, but causing strains in the capacity of districts to monitor them. Although the schools are required to file quarterly financial reports with local districts, which in turn file them with the state, USC researchers found that data was spotty in some counties, including Los Angeles, where fiscal data was available for only 30 of 163 schools. Education professor Priscilla Wohlstetter, who heads the research project, said it appears that schools are filing the reports, but that some districts are lumping them together, making it impossible to review them individually. "This is so critical," she said, "because the president and the secretary of Education have said we are going to double the number of charter schools around the country; however, we want to make sure we have good state accountability systems that track progress. . . . If there's this much missing data, how is California going to be able to access the federal money that's available?" Jed Wallace, president of the California Charter Schools Assn., said he believes that the problem is that the financial reporting requirements are "overly burdensome," and need to be streamlined. Although the USC researchers were critical of the reporting lapses, they praised the schools for what information was available, saying that most had improved their fiscal health and were spending most of their money in the classroom. The report also found that the Academic Performance Index scores of charter schools overall were fairly similar to those of traditional public schools. mitchell.landsberg @latimes.com Susan Sez Education News & Comment  DAC Chair Update & News 2nd Annual DAC Survey Charter School Paradox Board Meeting Agenda Board Meeting Video E21 Small High Schools ED Facts & Reports Sacramento Issues SAC City Community Voices Other Education News Padres/父æ¯/Родители/Parents Ways to Build Involvement About SAC City DAC What is a School Site Council Parent Rights under NCLB School Accountablity T  " ... authorizers,  June 17, 2009 12:58 On average, charter national assessment compared the readin 70 percent of U.S. ch research found that 3 in local traditional pu growth among their that of their tradition In reading, charter s differences in math a "We are worried by t in 16 States, said at a  Ch t h l f BEYOND THE RHETORIC OF CHARTER SCHOOL REFORM: Susan Sez Education News & Comment  A Study of Ten California School Districts DAC Chair Update & News 2nd Annual DAC Survey Charter School Paradox Board Meeting Agenda Board Meeting Video E21 Small High Schools ED Facts & Reports Sacramento Issues SAC City Community Voices This report provides an overview of findings from one of the first intensive studies of charter school reform in California, the second  " ... authorizers, state to pass charter school legislation and the state with both the second largest number of charter schools and the most students enrolled in these schools.  Charter school reform allows groups of parents, educators, and entrepreneurs to create more independent schools, free from many state and local regulations. The purpose of this two-and-a-half year June 17, 2009 12:58 study was to examine many of the most prominent claims of charter school advocates against the day-to-day experiences of educators, On average, charter parents, and students in charter schools as well as in nearby public national assessment compared the readin schools. T UCLA Charter School Study http://sacdac.org/Paradox.aspx[06/19/2009 9:18:39 AM] The Charter School Paradox Other Education News Padres/父æ¯/Родители/Parents Ways to Build Involvement About SAC City DAC What is a School Site Council Parent Rights under NCLB School Accountablity 70 percent of U.S. ch research found that in local traditional p growth among their that of their traditio In reading, charter s differences in math "We are worried by t in 16 States, said at a  Ch t h l f We conducted case studies of 17 charter schools in 10 school districts across the state. We sampled for diversity at both the district and school level in order to capture the range of experiences within this reform movement. While charter reform as a public policy tool prescribes no particular school-level practice or singular reform strategy, it is appealing to educators and policy makers due to claims about how charter reform will spur much-needed change throughout the public system. "The Relationship Between Policy Talk and Implementation: A Comparison of Charter Schools with Conventional Public Schools" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Hilton San Francisco & Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel, San Abstract: One of the key concepts embedded in much of the policy talk around charter school reform is increased decision-making at the school site in exchange for greater accountability. Using the 19992000 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), this study seeks to test the relationship between policy talk and implementation in charter school reform by comparing conventional public schools and charter schools around issues of accountability and decision-making. Focusing on these areas of school life, are there differences between charter schools and conventional public schools? Using a framework proposed by Newman, King, and Rigdon (1997) to analyze performance accountability, this study seeks to identify possible differences in performance accountability between charter schools and conventional public schools. Is charter school accountability best characterized as internal accountability -- i.e. are standards for teaching and learning generated within the school site? Or is charter school accountability better characterized as external accountability or imposed by entities outside the school? Both types of accountability refer to how goals for the school are formed. An additional concept, organizational capacity, refers to the degree to which the school has developed the capacity necessary to reach these goals. Do we see differences in the organizational capacity of charter schools compared to conventional public schools? The focus of this paper is a exploratory analysis of variables that will be used to develop school-level measures of these constructs in subsequent analyses. Susan Sez Education News & Comment  DAC Chair Update & News 2nd Annual DAC Survey Charter School Paradox Board Meeting Agenda Board Meeting Video E21 Small High Schools ED Facts & Reports Sacramento Issues SAC City Community Voices Other Education News Padres/父æ¯/Родители/Parents Ways to Build Involvement About SAC City DAC What is a School Site Council Parent Rights under NCLB School Accountablity Th  " ... authorizers, c  June 17, 2009 12:58 P On average, charter s national assessment o compared the reading 70 percent of U.S. cha research found that 3 in local traditional pu growth among their t that of their tradition In reading, charter st differences in math a "We are worried by th in 16 States, said at a  Charter schools free Return to Top of Page Susan Sez Education News & Comment  DAC Chair Update & News 2nd Annual DAC Survey The Charter  " ... authorizers, charter school advocates and policymakers mus http://sacdac.org/Paradox.aspx[06/19/2009 9:18:39 AM] The Charter School Paradox Charter School Paradox Board Meeting Agenda Board Meeting Video E21 Small High Schools ED Facts & Reports Sacramento Issues SAC City Community Voices Other Education News Padres/父æ¯/Родители/Parents Ways to Build Involvement About SAC City DAC What is a School Site Council Parent Rights under NCLB is accountability in exc  Charter Schools June 17, 2009 12:58 PM ET On average, charter schools are not performing as well as their trad national assessment of these school-choice options. The study, cond compared the reading and math state achievement test scores of stu 70 percent of U.S. charter school students—to those of their virtua research found that 37 percent of charter schools posted math gains in local traditional public schools. And 46 percent of charter schools growth among their traditional public-school companions. That mea that of their traditional public-school equivalents by a significant am In reading, charter students on average realized a growth that was l differences in math achievement, researchers said. "We are worried by these results," Margaret Raymond, director of C in 16 States, said at a news conference. "This study shows that we've  Return to Top of Page http://sacdac.org/Paradox.aspx[06/19/2009 9:18:39 AM]