Abstract: This analysis, released by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a charter sponsor, compares the performance of public charter schools with that of non-charter public schools in Ohio’s eight largest urban districts. Across the eight districts, which house the majority of the state’s charter schools, overall performance levels were similar. Six in 10 charter and comparable district students were proficient in reading. In math, about half of charter and comparable district students were proficient. Dayton’s charter schools outperformed district schools by about eight percentage points in reading and math. In the other seven districts, non-charters outperformed charters (by between one-half and twenty percentage points).