Abstract: This study of charter schools operating in Florida in 2003-04 found that the state's charter schools served students who are demographically very similar to those in other public schools.
Students in charter schools, however, were more likely to be academically behind when they entered their schools, compared to students remaining in traditional public schools. For this reason, charter school students were slightly less likely to meet grade-level standards compared to students in other public schools. Once in school, however, most charter school students achieved comparable learning gains in math and reading as similar students in traditional public schools. Students who were furthest behind made more progress in charter high schools than students in traditional public high schools. The study found that local contracts and annual reports were not effective in holding charter schools accountable for making improvements in student performance.
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