New Report: Charter Schools and the Achievement Gap

Posted by on November 24, 2006

[posted from Public Education Network newsblast]

ARE CHARTER SCHOOLS CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP?

Charter schools have been lauded for reasons ranging from increasing parental choice to introducing innovative practices to reducing educational bureaucracies. However, most charter schools are located in urban centers and enroll lower-income and minority students. Serving disadvantaged students is a principal goal of charter school reform. Assessments should account for this purpose. An article by Ron Zimmer and Richard Buddin examines the effect that charter schools are having on student achievement in general, and on different demographic groups, in two major urban districts in California. The authors find that achievement scores in charter schools are keeping pace, but not exceeding those of traditional public schools. The findings in this study show that charter school effects do not vary systematically with race/ethnicity or English
proficiency status of students.

http://www.ncspe.org/publications_files/OP118.pdf


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