ATLANTA – Eighth grade students attending charter schools throughout Georgia performed better on the 2010 Criterion Referenced Competency Test than students in traditional public schools, according to an analysis conducted by the Georgia Charter Schools Association. The GCSA analysis indicates also that the difference in student performance is more pronounced in the Atlanta and DeKalb County School Systems, and students in independent charter schools posted impressive scores across the board.
Charter schools, particularly independents, rank higher
The analysis examined how schools ranked in terms of the percentage of students that did not meet state proficiency standards in the five subject areas on the test – English/Language Arts, Math, Reading, Science and Social Studies.
The analysis looked at eighth grade student performance at traditional public schools and at the various types of charter schools, which includes traditional schools converted into charter schools (Conversions), charter schools started by school districts (Local Education Authority, or LEA Start-Ups) and charter schools started by community or parent groups, or other organizations (Independent Start-Ups).
Across the board, eighth graders in charter schools, particularly those in independent charters, which inherently are granted the greatest amount of autonomy and flexibility, achieved at higher levels than their peers in traditional public schools:
READING
77% (23/30) of all charter schools in the state (with eighth grade classes) were in the top 50% of public schools
23% (7/30) of all charters were in the top 15% of public schools
95% (18/19) of all independent charter schools were in the top 50% of public schools
58% (11/19) of all independent charter schools were in the top 25% of public schools
37% (7/19) of all independent charter schools were in the top 15% of public schools
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS
43% (13/30) of all charter schools in the state were in the top 50% of public schools
23% (7/30) of all charters were in the top 15% of public schools
89% (17/19) of all independent charter schools were in the top 50% of public schools
63% (12/19) of all independent charter schools were in the top 25% of public schools
37% (7/19) of all independent charter schools were in the top 15% of public schools
MATH
37% (7/19) of all independent charter schools were in the top 25% of public schools
SCIENCE
26% (5/19) of all independent charter schools were in the top 15% of public schools
SOCIAL STUDIES
37% (7/19) of all independent charter schools were in the top 25% of public schools
“We congratulate these schools, their staff, and especially their students for reaching these high levels of achievement. Charter schools in Georgia are helping students, who might not be as successful in traditional public schools, to achieve at higher levels than would have been possible without this growing educational option,” said Tony Roberts, Ph.D., CEO of GCSA.
Charters in Atlanta, DeKalb outperform districts
Additionally, the GCSA analysis found that the five charter schools with eighth grade classes in Atlanta (Atlanta Charter Middle School, Charles Drew Charter School, Imagine Wesley International Academy, University Community Academy and KIPP West Atlanta Young Scholars) and the three in DeKalb County (DeKalb Academy of Technology and the Environment, DeKalb PATH Academy and Peachtree Middle School) posted better rankings than the traditional schools in both districts.
For example, in English/Language Arts, of the 43 traditional public schools with eighth grade classes in Atlanta and DeKalb, nearly half of them (17, or 40 percent) rank among the bottom 15 percent of schools in Georgia, and 79 percent (84 schools) rank among the bottom 50 percent of schools in the state.
By contrast, none of the eight charter schools rank in the bottom 50 percent in the state, and four of the eight (50 percent) – DeKalb PATH, DATE, KIPP WAYS and Drew Charter – ranked in the top 15 percent of schools. Of the traditional schools in Atlanta and DeKalb, three (6 percent) rank in the top 15 percent.
The pattern is similar in the other subject areas as well:
READING
Nearly half of the traditional public schools in Atlanta and DeKalb (20, or 47 percent) rank among the bottom 15 percent of schools in the state, and 35 of them (81 percent) rank among the bottom 50 percent. However, none of the eight charter schools rank in the bottom 50 percent of schools in the state, and two – DeKalb PATH and DATE – of the eight (25 percent) ranked in the top 15 percent of schools. Three traditional schools (6 percent) rank in the top 15 percent.
MATH
More than three-quarters of the traditional public schools (36, or 84 percent) rank in the bottom 50 percent of schools in the state, and 12 schools (28 percent) rank in the bottom 15 percent. Conversely, just one of the eight charter schools ranks in the bottom 50 percent. Also, one charter school (KIPP WAYS), or 13 percent, ranks in the top 15 percent. Three (6 percent) traditional schools rank in the top 15 percent.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Well over half of traditional public schools (28, or 65 percent) rank in the bottom 50 percent of Georgia’s schools, while 44 percent (19 schools) rank in the bottom 15 percent. Just two charter schools (25 percent) rank in the bottom 50 percent of the state, while two charters (KIPP WAYS and DeKalb PATH) rank in the top 15 percent. Two traditional public schools (6 percent) rank in the top 15 percent.
SCIENCE
More than eight of 10 traditional public schools in Atlanta and DeKalb (37, or 86 percent) rank in the bottom 50 percent of schools in Georgia, and 35 percent (15 schools ) rank in the bottom 15 percent. Three charter schools (38 percent) rank in the bottom 50 percent of schools in the state, while two (DeKalb PATH and KIPP WAYS) rank in the top 15 percent. Two traditional public schools (4 percent) rank in the top 15 percent.
Both districts are among a group of seven (Bulloch, Candler, Henry, Gwinnett, and Griffin-Spaulding are the others) that is suing to have the Georgia Charter Schools Commission dissolved and two successful charter schools – Ivy Preparatory Academy Charter in Norcross and Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts and Technology (CCAT) in Statesboro – closed.
“We hope central office administrators and school boards across the state will look at data like this and begin to accept that quality charter schools are part of the answer to improving our public education system, and that they can enhance a school district – not take away from it,” Roberts said. “There are no quick fixes or magic bullets. But quality charter schools can and do help, and parents and communities should have quality choice options for their children.”
More communities in Atlanta and DeKalb seek similar school choice options
With the start of the 2010 school year, even more families in Atlanta and DeKalb are taking advantage of additional quality public school options. Next week, seven new charter schools will open their doors in Atlanta and DeKalb, serving nearly 2,500 students when at full capacity. Of the seven, three were authorized by the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, Georgia’s independent authorizer of charter schools:
Atlanta Heights Charter School (Atlanta, Commission authorized) 418 students
Intown Academy (Atlanta) 501
Kindezi School (Atlanta) 96
KIPP Vision (Atlanta) 320
Leadership Preparatory Academy (DeKalb) 300
Peachtree Hope (DeKalb, Commission authorized) 654
The Museum School (DeKalb, Commission authorized) 138
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