Abstract: This is the first major study of charter schools that compares test scores at charter schools and regular public schools serving similar (general) student populations. The authors exclude "targeted" charter schools, i.e, those serving very specific populations (juvenile offenders, pregnant teens, extremely low-income students) on the grounds that these skew achievement data downward.
When measured against those public schools with similar demographic and geographic characteristics, charter schools produced slightly higher gains in math and reading over a one-year period, according to this study released in July 2003. Nationwide, charter schools on average exceeded public school scores by 3 points on math tests and 2 points on reading exams.
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