Charter Schools: Reinventing Public Education

Charter Schools…

• Are independent public schools of choice• Serve ALL student populations• Are tuition-free• Have more flexibility which allows for more

innovation in the classroom to better meet students’ needs

• Have greater accountability• Are raising the bar and transforming public

education

20th Anniversary of CA Charter Schools

• California approved the Charter Schools Act in 1992, the second state in the nation to pass a charter school law – after Minnesota

• Charter schools were created to:– Provide more options and choice

to parents and students– Encourage innovation– Provide learning opportunities,

especially to underserved students

Charter Schools Nationwide

In 2011-2012, more than 2 million students attended nearly 5,600 charter schools in 40 states and the District of Columbia

*From the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

Charters Grow in Response to Parent Demand

With 982 Charter Schools, California has the highest number of charter schools of any state in the U.S.

31 60 83 110 125 159245

305363

418 459 510574 618

687750

809912

982

'94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

Californians support charter schools

• In 2011, a statewide poll of Californians found:– 67.3% of respondents know quite a bit or some

about charter schools, up from 50.8% the year before and 48% two years ago

– 47.2% of respondents strongly or somewhat favor charter schools, up from 42% the year before and 35.9% two years ago

The California Charter Schools Association

• The California Charter Schools Association is the membership and professional organization serving 982 charter public schools and more than 412,000 students in the state of California

• CCSA was founded in 2003

Academic Performance

• Charter school performance is mixed, with charters overrepresented in both the top 5% of CA public schools and the bottom 5%

Academic Successes

• Charters stand out in many areas:– Charter schools are breaking the link between poverty and low

performance, with charters serving low-income students more likely to be high-performing than traditional schools

– California charter schools serving a predominantly African American student population consistently outperform similar traditional schools

– California's charter middle schools consistently demonstrate higher academic performance than non-charter schools

– Overall, charter schools in Los Angeles and Oakland outperform district schools

Charter School Growth

• Despite a challenging economy, 100 new charters schools opened in California in the 2011-12 school year

• CA charters serve more than 412,000 students

Charter Schools in Los Angeles

Charter School Growth in Los Angeles

• L.A. Unified School District is home to more charter schools than any district in the country

• More than 10,000 students are on waitlists for L.A. charter schools

Charter Schools in Los Angeles

2010-11 Mean API Scores by Level

828772

714778791

708663

762

Elementary Middle High All Levels

Charters Non-Charters

• Overall, charter schools outperform LAUSD schools

San Diego Charter Schools

• There are 42 charters in San Diego Unified School District, and 95 in San Diego County

15 5 6 7 8

1115 17

20 21 23

34 36 35 37 3742 42

'94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

Oakland Charter Schools

• Charter schools serve about 20% of students in Oakland• Overall, charters outperform Oakland Unified

2010-11 Mean API Scores by Level

797

956

741 794792677

563

727

Elementary Middle High All Levels

Charters Non-Charters

Updated 01/17/12

Oakland Charter Schools

• Oakland charter schools also outperform district schools for many subgroups

2010-11 Mean API Scores by Subgroups

763 791 756 799

589682 721 717 705

575

African-American Latino English Learner SocioeconomicallyDisadvantaged

Students withDisabilities

Charters Non-Charters

Fresno Charter Schools

• 34 charters operate in Fresno County, 13 of them within Fresno Unified

1

45

6 6 6

8 8 8

11 1110

15

13

'99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

San Bernardino Charter Schools

• There are 12 charter schools in San Bernardino Unified

1 1 12

3 3

11

5

7

12 12

'02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

San Francisco Charter Schools

• There are 14 charter schools in San Francisco Unified

1 1 12

4 4 4 4

6

9 910

9 9

1110

1314

'95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

Charter Schools in Sacramento City USD

• There are 14 charter schools in Sacramento City Unified School District

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

10

12 1213

12 1211

12

14

'94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

San Jose Charter Schools

• There are 33 charter schools located in the City of San Jose (includes multiple school districts)

1618

24 2527

33

'07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12

For More Information

• If you need additional information or resources, visit:– www.calcharters.org– www.familiesthatcan.org