Abstract: A new study finds that public charter schools are helping close the achievement gap in Michigan. Recent state data reveals that economically disadvantaged, African-American, and Hispanic/Latino charter students exceeded their host district peers by 4-5 percentage points in both math and English Language Arts. African-American students outperformed their peers statewide by one point in math and nearly 1.5 points in English Language Arts. Charter students with disabilities exceeded their host district peers by 9 points in math and 11 points in English Language Arts. Charter schools open seven or more years were 8 percentage points higher than schools open three or fewer years in both ELA and math (grades 3-8 combined). Seventy-four percent of charters made adequate yearly progress, compared to 68 percent of host district schools. The study also found that charters achieved impressive academic gains with less resources. During the 2005-06 school year, total charter school revenues lagged their host district revenues by an average of $2,289 per pupil.
Print
This Page