Abstract: This paper, delivered at the National Conference on Charter School Research at Vanderbilt University, compares gains of individual Idahoan students before and after their enrollment in a charter school. Using longitudinal analysis, the authors find that charter schools at the elementary level are more effective than district schools in increasing performance in math. They also find that students who moved from district schools in the first year to charter schools in the second year experienced greater gains after the move. By contrast, those who moved from charter schools to district schools saw the greatest decline in gains. The authors highlight some differences between the experience of Idaho and other states, including charters in the state tend to attract students who have been performing above average in traditional public schools. In 2005-06, 29 charters were in operation, serving four percent of Idaho's public school population.
Resource Type: Case Studies/Evaluations Resource Format: Conference Material Target Audience: Authorizers, Founders, Policy Makers, Researchers Resource Topic: Accountability, Achieving Standards, Assessment, Gathering & Analyzing Data, Reporting Results, Effectiveness of Charter Schools
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