Charter School Networks Enhance Student Achievement and Address Racial Disparities

Charter school networks in D.C. are closing achievement gaps by providing more instructional time, highlighting the need for policy support and effective collaboration.

A new bill proposed in the District of Columbia Council aims to provide training for public charter school boards.

While the intention is positive, it fails to address a pressing issue within D.C. education: the widening racial achievement gap among students.

Since the 2015-16 school year, the academic divide between Black and white students has worsened, with standardized test scores showing a shift from a 54.5% disadvantage for Black students to a staggering 60%.

Recent assessments reveal that 73.5% of white students met the expected math standards, while only 11.8% of Black students did.

The reading scores tell an even more distressing story, with 81.7% of white students meeting standards compared to just 23.5% of their Black peers.

Impact of Charter Schools

D.C.’s education landscape consists of both traditional public schools and independently operated charter schools, which together serve close to half the public school population.

The legislation enabling public charter schools has been in place for nearly three decades, and mayoral control over the school district has existed for 15 years.

Both developments have contributed to improved test scores, graduation, and college admission rates in both sectors.

Nonetheless, many institutions still struggle to effectively support their most vulnerable students.

A comprehensive study by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) evaluated the performance of around 1.9 million charter school students across 32 states, including Washington, D.C., over five years.

The study revealed that charter schools significantly outpaced traditional public schools in student progress, especially among Black, Hispanic, and low-income students.

In D.C., students attending public charter school networks—defined as those with three or more locations—benefited from noteworthy educational gains.

They received an average of 50 additional days of math instruction and 12 more days of reading compared to students in district schools.

The four largest charter networks, including Center City, DC Prep, Friendship, and KIPP DC, offered even greater advantages.

Students within these networks enjoyed an impressive average of 83 additional days of math learning and 21 extra days of reading instruction compared to their district counterparts, and these networks together serve nearly one-third of the charter school students in D.C.

Challenges for Stand-Alone Charters

Conversely, students enrolled in stand-alone charter schools—those with one or two campuses—showed only slight improvements.

They gained around six more days of reading instruction but experienced a decline of six days in math.

Increasing instructional time is crucial for closing the growing achievement gap.

National research confirms that Black students in charter management organizations enjoyed an extra 41 days of reading and 47 additional days of math relative to their peers in traditional public schools.

In Washington, D.C., a significant demographic—88%—of charter school students identify as Black or Latino.

Other cities have reported even larger increases from their charter networks.

For instance, in New York City, charter school students excelled, outpacing public school pupils by 114 days in math and 62 days in reading.

The Success Academy, a well-known charter network, has noted extraordinary outcomes, including gains of 107 days in reading and 260 days in math.

Policy Recommendations

The CREDO study emphasizes the benefits of large charter networks, which possess greater capabilities to attract philanthropic support, recruit talented educators, and effectively implement and replicate successful educational strategies compared to stand-alone institutions.

This need for improvement is even more pressing when considering a recent report from Bellwether, which states that D.C. Public Schools receive significantly higher funding per student—about $7,713 more annually—than charter schools.

As a result, many smaller, stand-alone charter schools struggle to offer competitive salaries and benefits to attract and retain quality teachers.

To effectively support at-risk populations, education policymakers in D.C. must have the determination to help underperforming or underenrolled charter and district schools either transform their strategies, collaborate, or, when necessary, close their doors.

Additionally, vacant or underutilized buildings within the school system should be converted to host high-performing charter networks.

The charter board in D.C. ought to focus on promoting the expansion of thriving stand-alone charters and facilitate the growth of effective charter networks.

Moreover, enticing reputable external providers to introduce their successful educational models could further enhance the city’s educational landscape.

If policymakers commit to evidence-based initiatives that build upon proven strategies, America’s public schools could truly become transformative equalizers for the country’s most underserved students.

Source: The74million