June 24, 2009
Top of the morning
Supporters of raising or eliminating the cap on charter schools in North Carolina, particularly the folks on the Right who want to dismantle public education altogether, often point to the performance of charter schools in Washington, D.C. as compelling evidence that charters should be expanded.
A new study of charter schools in D.C. ought to make them think twice about pointing to the schools as beacons of education progress.
The study was done by the Center for Education Reform, a group that is unabasedly pro-charter school. The Center describes itself as an organization that is
leading parents, policymakers and the media in boldly advocating for school choice, advancing the charter school movement, and challenging the education establishment.
Here are a few of the study’s findings about D.C. charter schools, as compiled by the folks at Schools Matter.
…students in poverty enrolled in charter schools receive no significant benefit in reading or math compared to their counterparts in traditional public schools.
The results show that in the District, Blacks enrolled in charter schools do about the same in reading and math compared to their counterparts in traditional public schools.
Hispanics enrolled in charter schools also do about the same in reading and math compared to their counterparts in traditional public schools
If you are keeping score at home, the study by a pro-charter school group finds that poor students, African-American students, and Hispanic students enrolled in the much-ballyhooed D.C. charter schools do no better than their counterparts in traditional public schools.
Unless I am missing something, that doesn’t sound like compelling evidence to expand charter schools in North Carolina or anywhere else.
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