Charter schools are meeting a need for educational settings not widely available in district schools, according to the Center for Student Achievement’s research report released Thursday.
The report also found that the data contradict the common misconception that charter schools attract, or “skim” only higher performing students away from district schools, and shows that nearly one-third of all students enrolled in a charter attend an A-rated school, but that too many charter students attend mid- or low- quality schools.
“Given the fact that charter schools are continuing to grow, it is critical we ensure that all students have access to quality school choices,” said Eileen Sigmund, President of the Center for Student Achievement and the Arizona Charter Schools Association.
In conjunction with the launch of National School Choice Week 2013, the report, Oh, the Places They’ll Go! Arizona Public School Choice and Its Impact on Students, focuses on Arizona’s charter schools and its impact on students. In order to analyze how charter schools choices are paying off in terms of student achievement, the report focused on student performance rather than individual school performance.
The Center projects that charter school enrollment could double by 2020, which could have a significant policy implications and impact of student achievement. The Center believes further research is needed to completely understand the impact of public school choices on students, both in charter schools and in district schools.
This inaugural report by the Center is the start of a series of research papers that will further study the impact of school choice and quality public schools in Arizona. For more information and to find an online copy of the report, visit: www.centerforstudentachievement.org.
Arizona Charter Schools Association 