Charter schools outperform public schools in US, with NY results ‘among the best in the country’: study
Charter schools in the US are proving to outperform traditional public schools by large margins, particularly in urban areas such as New York City, according to a recent study by the Stanford University Center for Research on Educational Outcomes. The research analyzed test results of four million students across 29 states, New York City, and Washington, DC, from 2015 through 2019. The results showed that charter-school students outperformed their traditional public school peers by the equivalent of 16 days more of learning on average a year in reading and six days more in math. Students attending charter schools in urban areas saw growth of up to 29 more days per year in reading and 28 more days in math than their traditional school counterparts. Students at the Success Academy network of 49 charter schools achieved an additional 206 days of learning in math and 107 days in reading compared to their surrounding traditional public school peers. Black, Hispanic, and low-income students in charter schools also fared significantly better than their peers in traditional public schools. The authors of the study called for a serious conversation about expanding charter schools or replicating their success, particularly in light of the learning loss experienced by students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eva Moskowitz, CEO of Success Academy, said she was “particularly proud” of her network’s performance.
FAQs:
What are charter schools?
Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are privately managed and are often exempt from union rules.
How do charter schools differ from traditional public schools?
Charter schools typically have a longer school day and school year, and many are exempt from union rules.
What did the recent study by the Stanford University Center for Research on Educational Outcomes reveal about charter schools?
The study revealed that charter schools in the US outperform traditional public schools by significant margins, particularly in urban areas such as New York City. Black, Hispanic, and low-income students in charter schools also fared significantly better than their traditional public school peers.
Why are the results of the study significant?
The study provides evidence of the success of charter schools and calls for a serious conversation about expanding charter schools or replicating their success in light of the learning loss experienced by students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Study Finds Charter Schools in the US Excel Beyond Public Schools, with New York Among Top Performers
A new study by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Educational Outcomes shows that charter schools in the US are significantly outperforming traditional public schools across the country. In particular, the study identified that charter schools in New York City and other urban areas are showing particularly large margins of improvement. The research, which analyzed the test results of 4 million students from 29 states and DC from 2015 through 2019, revealed that charter school students on average had 16 more days of learning in reading and 6 more days of learning in math compared to their traditional public school peers. Urban charter-school students had 29 additional days of growth per year in reading and 28 additional days of growth in math compared to their TPS peers. In New York City, charter-school kids gained an additional 80 days in math compared to their local districts’ peers and 42 days in reading. Black and Hispanic students in charter schools across the US did better than their traditional school peers by large margins in both math and reading, as did students in poverty. Despite previous proof of charter school successes, the Democrats and anti-charter teachers’ unions refused to lift the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in New York. The study’s authors said there were more than 1,000 gap-busting charter schools that achieved educational equity for disadvantaged students, with performance on par or exceeding that of white students.