September 30, 2024
Media Contact: Maggie Meyers
As many have reported, student outcomes as evaluated by the Spring 2024 Smarter Balanced Assessment were recently published. As public schools, charter public schools also administer this test for students each year just like their peers in traditional public schools. Aggregate outcomes across the 17 charter public schools in Washington were generally in alignment with their home districts. However, the student populations most likely to be served by charter public schools (Global Majority students), achieved significant outcomes relative to their peers in traditional public schools:
Low-income students attending charter schools in Washington state outperformed their district and state peers in ELA, Math, and Science.
- Science: 43.9% of low-income charter school students met Science proficiency, which is nearly double the rate compared to peers in the districts in which the charter schools are located (22.3%) and 13 percentage points greater than peers statewide (30%).
- ELA: 41.4% of low-income charter school students met ELA proficiency compared to 33% of low-income students in the districts in which charter schools are located and 34.6% of low-income peers statewide.
- Math: 37.6% of low-income charter school students met Math proficiency compared to 21% of low-income students in the districts in which charter schools are located and 24.1% of low-income peers statewide.
Multilingual learners met proficiency levels at a rate more than double of that of their district and state in ELA and Math. In Science, Multilingual learners met proficiency at 7x the proficiency level as compared to local districts with charters located within them, and nearly quadruple the rate of the state.
- ELA: 33.2% of multilingual learners in charter schools met ELA proficiency compared to 14.4% in the districts in which charter schools are located and 15.5% statewide.
- Math: 31.3% of multilingual learners in charter schools met Math proficiency compared to 13.5% in the districts in which charter schools are located and 15.2% statewide.
- Science: 38.3% of multilingual learners in charter schools met Science proficiency compared to 6.3% in the districts in which charter schools are located and 10.8% statewide.
Black students attending charter schools significantly outperformed their district and state peers in ELA, Math, and Science.
- ELA: 43.6% of Black students in charter schools met ELA proficiency compared to 28.8% in the districts in which charters are located and 35% statewide.
- Math: 38.4% of Black students in charter schools met Math proficiency, more than double the rate of 16.4% among Black peers in districts in which charter schools are located and significantly greater than the rate of 22% proficiency among peers statewide.
- Science: 38% of Black students in charter schools met Science proficiency, which is more than double the rate of 15.6% of Black peers in districts in which charter schools are located and 25.4% among Black peers statewide.
Students with disabilities receiving special education services outperformed their district and state peers in Math and Science.
- ELA: 22.6% of with disabilities receiving special education services in charter schools met ELA proficiency compared to 18.7% statewide.
- Math: 21.4% of students with disabilities receiving special education services in charter schools met Math proficiency compared to 20.1% in the districts in which charter schools are located and 15% statewide.
- Science: 28.4% of students with disabilities receiving special education services in charter schools met Science proficiency compared to 15.9% in the districts in which charter schools are located and 18.5% statewide.
Students with disabilities served with a 504 plan outperformed their peers in districts with charter schools and statewide in Math and Science.
- ELA: 59.5% of students with disabilities on a 504 plan in charter schools met ELA proficiency compared to 53.2% statewide.
- Math: 62.2% of students with disabilities on a 504 plan in charter schools met Math proficiency compared to 44.8% in the districts in which charter schools are located and 39.6% statewide.
- Science: 63.6% of students with disabilities on a 504 plan in charter schools met Science proficiency compared to 43.8% in the districts in which charter schools are located and 47.6% statewide.
Black students attending charter schools significantly outperformed their district and state peers in ELA, Math, and Science, with more than double the rates of proficiency in Math and Science as compared to peers in districts with charter schools.
- ELA: 43.6% of Black students in charter schools met ELA proficiency compared to 28.8% in the districts in which they are located and 35% statewide.
- Math: 38.4% of Black students in charter schools met Math proficiency compared to 16.4% in the districts in which charter schools are located and 22% statewide.
- Science: 38% of Black students in charter schools met Science proficiency compared to 15.6% in the districts in which charter schools are located and 25.4% statewide.
Latinx students attending charter schools significantly outperformed their district and state peers in ELA, Math, and Science.
- ELA: 49.6% of Latinx students in charter schools met ELA proficiency compared to 33% in the districts in which charter schools are located and 33.6% statewide.
- Math: 40.2% of Latinx students in charter schools met Math proficiency, nearly double the rate of 20.7% among Latinx peers in the districts in which charter schools are located and significantly more than the rate of 22.4% among peers statewide.
- Science: 52.5% of Latinx students in charter schools met Science proficiency, more than double the rate as compared to 20.2% of Latinx peers in the districts in which charter schools are located and significantly more than 27.5% of peers statewide.
As a sector, charter public schools are held to a high-level of accountability in exchange for greater flexibility for students who may benefit from a different learning environment than that found in a traditional setting. For charter public school students who are still catching up, each schools’ leader and teachers are dedicated to continuing to support their students so that they have the greatest access to opportunities. Specifically, charter public schools evaluate student progress on a quarterly basis, which allows for progress trends to be identified relative to a students’ proficiency when they enrolled at a charter public school compared to current proficiency. For example, a student may enroll in a charter public school for the first time when entering the ninth grade while testing at a fourth grade reading level. By the eleventh grade, they may be testing at a seventh grade reading level. While still below grade level, this is significant improvement for a student’s unique pathway through school.
Additional Facts and Figures:
- There are more than 2,000 traditional public schools in Washington and only seventeen charter public schools.
- 65% of students attending charter public schools identify as people of color, compared to 52% in traditional public schools statewide. Washington’s charter public schools serve 5x the rate of Black/African American students as compared to the statewide average across all public schools.
- Charter public schools employ higher percentage of Global Majority teachers than traditional public schools. All teachers and staff at charter public schools must meet the same instructional certification requirements as staff at traditional public schools.
- For the third year in a row, Black, Latinx, and low-income students in charter public schools outperformed their traditional public school peers on the statewide SBAC assessment in all tested subjects (ELA, Math, and Science). In addition, charter public school students are returning to pre-COVID levels of achievement more quickly than their traditional public-school peers.
- Graduation rate for 2022-23 was 90% for the sector (represented by 4 schools with a reportable graduation rate).
- Charter schools are held to rigorous accountability standards. Oversight from a charter public school authorizer, the State Board of Education, OSPI, a non-profit school board, and the State Auditor ensure transparency and regulatory compliance. In exchange, charter schools are given more flexibility to customize their teaching methods and curriculum to meet the individualized needs of their students. Charter schools must meet the same state learning standards as traditional public schools; if they fall short, they can be closed.