CT Charter Schools - A Closer Look May 2010

8/9/2019 CT Charter Schools - A Closer Look May 2010

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Marilyn [email protected]


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Better Performing Charter SchoolsMaking Adequate Yearly Progress or Safe Harbor

in 2 of last 3 years2007-08 2006-07 2005-06

Amistad Academy

Common Ground High School

Elm City College Preparatory SchoolHighville Charter School

Integrated Day Charter School

Jumoke Academy

New Beginnings Family Academy

Odyssey Community School

Note: These 8 better performing charter schools represent 57% of the 14 Connecticut charter schools evaluated under No Child Left Behind.

Source: Connecticut State Department of Education website, www.sde.ct.gov
http://www.sde.ct.gov/http://www.sde.ct.gov/


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Urban School Districts Have aDiverse Student Population

More Than Poor StudentsKey urban student demographics include:

Low-income students Low-income students who are not fluent in English Low-income students receiving special

education services Two recent studies have found that charter schools are more segregated than public schools.

Miron, G., Urschel, J. L., Mathis, W, J., & Tornquist, E. (2010). Schools without Diversity: Education Management Organizations, Charter Schools and the Demographic Stratification of the American School System . Boulder and Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center& Education Policy Research Unit, http://epicpolicy.org/publication/schools-without-diversity

Frankenberg, E., Siegel-Hawley, G., Wang, J. (2010). Choice without Equity: Charter School Segregation and the Need for Civil RightsStandards . Los Angeles, CA: The Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA,http://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/news/pressreleases/pressrelease20100204-report.html
http://epicpolicy.org/publication/schools-without-diversityhttp://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/news/pressreleases/pressrelease20100204-report.htmlhttp://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/news/pressreleases/pressrelease20100204-report.htmlhttp://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/news/pressreleases/pressrelease20100204-report.htmlhttp://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/news/pressreleases/pressrelease20100204-report.htmlhttp://epicpolicy.org/publication/schools-without-diversityhttp://epicpolicy.org/publication/schools-without-diversityhttp://epicpolicy.org/publication/schools-without-diversityhttp://epicpolicy.org/publication/schools-without-diversityhttp://epicpolicy.org/publication/schools-without-diversityhttp://epicpolicy.org/publication/schools-without-diversity


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SchoolDistrict

PoorStudents*

Students FromNon-English

Speaking Homes

StudentsNot Fluentin English

StudentsReceiving Special

Ed Services

Bridgeport 95%+ 40% 14% 12%

Danbury 33% 38% 19% 11%

Hartford 95%+ 45% 17% 13%

Meriden 56% 30% 11% 14%

New Britain 63% 44% 17% 14%

New Haven 71% 29% 13% 9%

Waterbury 72% 14% 12% 15%

A Look at Diversityin Connecticuts Urban School Districts

2007-08

Numbers rounded to nearest percent. Source: Connecticut State Department of Education website, www.sde.ct.gov* Students eligible for free or reduced price school meals.


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How do the student groups in urban public schools

perform on state tests?


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2009 CMT Test Scores for 3 Student Groups4 th Grade Math and Reading

Percent of students attaining Proficiency Level or above

0%10%20%30%40%

50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Math

0%10%20%30%40%

50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Reading

Numbers rounded to nearest percent.

* Poor students are those eligible for free/reduced price school meals. ELL students are English Language LearnersSource: Connecticut CMT and CAPT Online Reports, Public Summary Performance Reports, www.ctreports.com


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2009 CMT Test Scores for 3 Student Groups8 th Grade Math and Reading

Percent of students attaining Proficiency Level or above

0%10%20%30%40%

50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Math

0%10%20%30%40%

50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Reading

Numbers rounded to nearest percent.

* Poor students are those eligible for free/reduced price school meals. ELL students are English Language LearnersSource: Connecticut CMT and CAPT Online Reports, Public Summary Performance Reports, www.ctreports.com


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Better Performing

Charter SchoolsLeaving Too Many Students Behind


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Better Performing Charter Schools and Host Urban School

Districts

Unequal Student Demographics = Unequal Academic Performance


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School

District

Poor

Students*

Students From Non-English Speaking

Homes

Students NotFluent in English


Ed Services

Bridgeport PublicSchool District

95%+ 40% 14% 12%

New BeginningsFamily Academy

54% 0% 0% 3%

Comparison of Urban Student Groups

Bridgeport Public School District and aBetter Performing Bridgeport Charter School

2007-08

Based on a more selective student population, it is no surprise that the charter school has better test scores.

Numbers rounded to nearest percent. Source: Connecticut State Department of Education website, www.sde.ct.gov* Students eligible for free or reduced price school


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School

District

Poor

Students*


Homes



Ed Services

Hartford PublicSchool District

95%+ 45% 17% 13%

JumokeAcademy

95%+ 0% 0% 4%


Hartford Public School District and aBetter Performing Hartford Charter School

2007-08


Numbers rounded to nearest percent. Source: Connecticut State Department of Education website, www.sde.ct.gov* Students eligible for free or reduced price school


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SchoolDistrict

PoorStudents*


Homes



Ed Services

ManchesterPublic School

District36% 4% 4% 14%

OdysseyCommunity

School

21% 0% 0% 10%


Manchester Public School District and aBetter Performing Manchester Charter School

2007-08


Numbers rounded to nearest percent. Source: Connecticut State Department of Education website, www.sde.ct.gov

* Students eligible for free or reduced price school


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Comparison of Urban Student GroupsN ew Haven Public School District and

Better Performing New Haven Charter Schools

2007-08

SchoolDistrict

PoorStudents*

Students FromNon-English

Speaking Homes


Students ReceivingSpecial Ed

Services

New HavenSchool District 71% 29% 13% 9%

AmistadAcademy 57% 0% 0% 3%

Elm CityCollege Prep 73% 0% 0% 5%

Based on a more selective student population, it is no surprise that the charter schools have better test scores.


* Students eligible for free or reduced price school meals.


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Comparison of Urban Student GroupsN ew Haven Public School District and

Better Performing New Haven Charter Schools

2007-08

SchoolDistrict

PoorStudents*


Homes


Students ReceivingSpecial Ed

Services

New HavenSchool District 71% 29% 13% 9%

Common GroundHigh School

65% 5% 0% 21%

Highville

Charter School(New Haven and Hamden)

48% 0% 0% 1%

Based on a more selective student population, it is no surprise that the charter schools have better test scores.

Numbers rounded to nearest percent. Source: Connecticut State Department of Education website, www.sde.ct.gov* Students eligible for free or reduced price school meals.


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SchoolDistrict

PoorStudents*


Homes



Ed Services

Norwich PublicSchool District 55% 20% 10% 14%

Integrated DayCharter

School

22% 6% 2% 9%


Norwich Public School District and aBetter Performing Norwich Charter School

2007-08



* Students eligible for free or reduced price school


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Charter Schools Leave Too

Many Students Behind Students from Homes in

Which English is Not Spoken... English Language Learners Students Receiving Special

Education Services

A Different Type of Racial and Ethnic Isolation


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English Language Learners

Protected Under Federal Education Law


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The United States Department of EducationOffice for Civil Rights has responsibility forenforcing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, coloror national origin in programs and activities that receivefederal financial assistance.

Title VI has been interpreted by U. S. Federal Courts toprohibit denial of equal access to education because of astudents limited proficiency in English.


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Students in Special Education

Programs

Protected Under Federal Education Law


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The United States Department of Education Officefor Civil Rights has responsibility for enforcing

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 andTitle II of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 and 2008.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities thatreceive Federal financial assistance from the U.S.Department of Education.

The Americans with Disabilities Act extends the prohibitionagainst discrimination against individuals with disabilities tothe full range of state and local government services,programs and activities, including public schools.


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HIGH Drop Out/Counsel Out/Transfer Rate

Gives Some Better Performing Charter Schools an Even More Selective

Student Population


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High Drop Out/Counsel Out*/Transfer Rate in

Some Better Performing Charter SchoolsPercent Students Who Started School Year Not Returning Next School Year

Charter School 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06

Elm City College Prep 7% 24% 32%

JumokeAcademy 5% 24% 21%

New BeginningsFamily Academy

25% 15% 13%

OdysseyCommunity School

35% 21% 17%


In some better performing charter schools, if a student has behavioral incidents or is not progressing academically, the school requestsa meeting with the parent and offers a choice to the parent of either having their child expelled with the expulsion on the chil ds publicrecord or voluntarily withdrawing their child.

Note: Individual schools in urban districts may have high mobility rates because a family moves to another part of the city and thechildren are then assigned to the nearest neighborhood school. In charter schools, however, students are provided busing from theirhome to the charter school even if the family moves to another neighborhood.


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Drop Outs/Counsel Outs*/TransfersOne Citys Example

Bridgeport Special Education Students Transferring Out of Bridgeport Charter Schools

2007-08 School YearCharterSchoo l

EnrollmentPercent StudentsReceiving Special

Education Services

Number StudentsReceiving Special

Education Services

Transfers of StudentsReceiving Special

Education Services

Achievement FirstBridgeport Academy 85 1.2% 1 1

The BridgeAcademy 260 10.4% 27 0

New Beginnings FamilyAcademy 361 3.3% 12 0

Park City PrepCharter School 206 4.4% 9 0

2008-09 School Year

Charter SchoolNumber of Students Receiving Special

Education ServicesTransfers of Students Receiving Special

Education Services

Achievement First Bridgeport Academy 11 4

The Bridge Academy 31 1

New Beginnings Family Academy 29 2

Park City Prep Charter School 12 2

In some better performing charter schools, if a student has behavioral incidents or is not progressing academically, school personnel request a meeting with theparent and offer a choice to the parent of either having their child expelled with the expulsion on the childs public recor d or voluntarily withdrawing their child.

Sources: Bridgeport Board of Education and Connecticut Department of Education website, School and District Data, http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/site/


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Average Monthly Transfer-Out RateRelated to Administration of States CMT and

CAPT Standardized Tests

One Citys Example: Bridgeport Students TransferringOut of Bridgeport Charter Schools

School Year All TransfersTransfer Monthly Average

Pre-CMT/CAPTSeptember - February

Transfer Monthly AveragePost-CMT/CAPT

March - June

2007-08 62 6.3 students per month 3.3 students per month

2008-09 39 3.3 students per month 1 student per month

Sources: Bridgeport Board of Education and Connecticut Department of Education website, School and District Data, http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/site/


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In Connecticut, each charter school iscreated as its own school district.

Why should charter schools be ableto transfer students out of their district

to another school district?Can the public school districts of

Bridgeport, Hartford or New Haven

transfer students to an adjoiningsuburban school district?


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Charter SchoolsLeaving Too Many Students Behind

Charter School Reform before

Charter School Expansion


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Documents

CT Charter Schools - A Closer Look May 2010