Abstract: This report examines ten years of charter schools in the District of Columbia. The charter sector in the city has grown dramatically and it is estimated that one-half of all public school children in the District of Columbia will be attending charters by 2014 if present trends continue. The District of Columbia now has one of the most active and dynamic charter school sectors, surpassing bigger cities like New York and Chicago in the number of charter schools and students. The author finds that charter schools are performing slightly better than traditional D.C. public schools on national standardized tests. However, only a small percentage of charter school students are scoring at proficient or advanced levels. The report offers numerous recommendations, including closing chronically low-performing schools and establishing an independent facilities board to allocate unused district buildings to charter schools.
Resource Type: Case Studies/Evaluations Resource Format: PDF File Target Audience: Authorizers, Policy Makers, Researchers Resource Topic: Legislation & Policy, Accountability
Print
This Page