Are Charter Schools Better?

“We’re small. We’re new,” 15-year-old
Jacob says.

After just three years, the school only has an enrollment
of only 230 students. But its small size is part of its appeal.

“The teachers here, since they’re so personal
with you, you actually want
to study and want to do your work and want to good,”
says Sonia, 15.

Sixteen-year-old Gimel agrees: “It’s just better
for me. I learn better. And my test scores are, of course,
higher.”

The Manhattan Institute, a national research group, studied
academic performance in 600 charter schools in 11 states.
It found that charter school students scored slightly higher
on standardized math and reading tests than students who attended
traditional public schools.

“With the emphasis on critical-thinking skills, plus
smaller classrooms and more parent involvement, it does not
surprise me that this study is finding that those scores are
increasing,” says Dr. Gary Martin, a veteran educator
and interim principal at Math-Science High.

“When you surround yourself with good, smart, focused
students, that’s what’s gonna happen,” Jacob
says. “You’re gonna get higher scores, and you’re
gonna do better.”

With fewer regulations about curriculum and staffing, charter
schools have more flexibility than traditional public schools.
However, they typically have less money and provide fewer
extracurricular activities.

How can parents decide if a charter school is right for their
child?

“My advice to parents is go visit a charter school,
talk to the administration and the faculty and the students,
and you’ll see a difference,” Dr. Martin says.

Many charter schools have specific curriculum, like math and
science, or they target a certain type of student from at-risk
to college preparatory.

Experts say that parents should make sure the school they
are interested in is the right match for their child. Also,
parents should be open to taking a chance on a new and growing
concept.

Joshua, now in his third year at Math-Science High, was one
of the pioneering students.

“When I came here, I made the decision to try something
new, to kind of be a leader, kind of be one of the founding
members of the student body. I mean, everything’s a
risk in life, and I thought that this was a good risk to take,”
he says.

A national study from
the Manhattan Institute reveals that students attending charter
schools often perform better academically than students attending
traditional public schools. Researchers analyzed student performance
at approximately 600 charter schools in 11 different states.
When measured against students from public schools with similar
demographic and geographic characteristics, the researchers
found that charter school students posted higher gains in
math and reading from 2000 to 2002. In fact, attending a charter
school appeared to add two percentile points to the reading
scores and 3 percentile points to the math scores of average
students.

As a parent, how can you determine what type
of school is best for your child? For starters, it is important
for you to know your options. The Oregon Department of Education
cites the following types of schools for you to consider:

• Charter schools (public):
  These autonomous, “alternative” public schools
  are started by parents, teachers, community organizations
  and for-profit companies. They receive tax dollars, but
  the sponsoring group must also come up with private funding.
  Charter schools must adhere to the basic curricular requirements
  of the state but are free from many of the regulations that
  apply to conventional schools and the day-to-day scrutiny
  of school boards and government authorities.
• Magnet schools (public):
  These highly competitive, highly selective public schools
  are renowned for their special programs, superior facilities
  and high academic standards. They may specialize in a particular
  area, such as science or the arts. Students who apply to
  these schools go through a rigorous testing and application
  process.
• Independent schools (private):
  These schools are nonprofit and governed by elected boards
  of trustees. Independent schools draw their funds from tuition
  payments, charitable contributions and endowments rather
  than from taxes or church funds. They may be affiliated
  with a religious institution but cannot receive funds or
  governance from them. Independent private day schools generally
  cost from a few thousand to more than $10,000 per student
  per year, while an independent boarding school charges each
  student approximately $20,000 annually.
• Parochial schools (private):
  These church-related schools are most commonly owned and
  operated by Catholic parishes or dioceses but also by Protestant
  denominations. Hebrew schools may also be termed parochial.
  The majority of the private schools in the United States
  are parochial schools. Their academic curriculum is supplemented
  with required daily religious instruction and prayer. Teachers
  may be clergy or laypersons who may or may not be trained
  educators. Your child doesn’t have to be Catholic to attend
  a parochial school, but he or she will still be required
  to attend religious education classes and prayer services.
  Parochial schools generally cost between $1,200 and $2,400
  per year for an elementary school student and between $4,600
  and $7,500 for a high school student.
• Proprietary schools (private):
  These private schools are run for profit. This is a relatively
  new category of school. They do not answer to any board
  of trustees or elected officials. Because of this, they
  claim to be able to respond quickly to the demands of the
  market. Tuition is comparable to that of private, nonprofit
  schools.
• Home schools: These schools
  include an educational environment in which a student receives
  instruction offered in a home, as regulated by state law,
  for reasons other than health.

Once you know your options, you can implement the TEST method,
suggested by the Partnership for Learning:

Talk to others. Find out what
active parents and educators think about schools or other
programs. A customer’s point of view, from someone who actually
has a child enrolled, is one of the best sources. Below are
a few questions to get you started:

• What kind of school do you prefer?
• Why are you sending your child to that particular school?
• How much time have you spent at your child’s school?
• Overall, what do you think about the school?
• What do you like best? What do you like least?
• How far does the school go out of its way to make families
  feel welcome?
• How involved are parents?
• How often do you hear from the school or your child’s
  teacher about your child’s progress?
• How much do teachers seem to like their jobs and the kids?
• What do people think about the principal’s leadership?
• Does the school seem safe and well cared for?
• What are the names of some active parents at the school
  with whom I could talk?

Evaluate the school. Once you
decide which schools you are going to evaluate, it is important
to search out information and ask questions that will show
you just what each school offers in important areas. The following
series of questions focuses on many of the key elements of
what different schools provide for your child both in terms
of educational quality and how well the school meets the needs
of your particular family:

• Does the school engage parents as partners?
• Does the school have a clear plan focused on academic
  achievement?
• Is the principal confident, focused and engaged?
• Is the school too big?
• Does the school have basic resources?
• Does the school achieve academic gains?
• Are expectations high, real and shared?
• Are staff committed?
• Do teachers know their stuff?
• Is the school safe?
• Does this school match our family’s goals?
• Will this school appreciate our child’s strengths and
  strengthen his or her weaknesses?
• Will this school respect our family’s values?
• Are this school’s expectations for family involvement
  at a level we can meet?
• Is this school’s cost of transportation, tuition and other
  expenses within our family’s means?
• Is this school close enough for us to transport our child
  and to stay involved?

Schedule a visit. Visit at
least two of your top schools. Test scores and written mission
statements can’t tell you enough. Besides, the best school
for your child is often the one where you can be most involved,
and you can only find that out by meeting people at the school
face to face.

Take action early. You’ve talked
to other parents. You’ve evaluated the school and you’ve stopped
by for a visit. You have all of the information you need to
make your decision. Prioritize the schools that best meet
your child’s needs and the goals you have determined for your
child.

Manhattan
Institute
Oregon Department of
Education
Partnership
for Learning