Can Charter Schools Improve Achievement?

Yes! According to a recent report by the Center for School Change at the Humphrey Institute:

21 out of 31 charter schools studied have reported gains after administering the same test twice.
Seven charters in this group have had their contracts renewed because they showed improved achievement.
Most of the charter schools studied are serving urban students of color and low income students.

Recent Comments

Great ideas for K-12 from historically black & tribal controlled colleges/universities / Joe Nathan’s Column (4)
- Lonni Simpson Skrentner: These are startling statistics. Thanks for sharing, Joe. Public education definitely needs to use the fact that relationships are key to achievement.
- sanguine33: My college experience was horrid because my political views were continually attacked and punished. I would have loved to attend a college where I was welcome. I assume that helps the students you describe – due to their background,...
- Robertwedl: Of course the Black universities were started because White folks would not permit Black people to attend “our schools.” And we know what the results are…outstanding leaders have emerged from these universities. Same...
- Jasmine B: Great column. I am one of the K-12 teachers who attended a HBU- FAMU. My school district used to intentionally recruit from HBCUs and since they’ve stopped doing so, our numbers for teachers of color have greatly decreased. I am...
5 questions to ask school board candidates/members / Joe Nathan’s Column (3)
- sanguine33: All five are perfect questions to ask candidates, especially the survey, since once started it will likely continue annually. Well done.
- Victoria M. Young: Good questions, Joe. Thank you. I will definitely share them.
- WGersen: My only bone to pick is on the last question. One cannot be FOR the community and NOT be FOR good public schools… but in my experience there are some people who run for school boards who are for TAXPAYERS and I would argue that the...
Legislators wisely listen to state teachers of the year / Joe Nathan’s Column (2)
- Tom King: Instead of non-educators, espeicially politicians and billionaires lecturing teachers about teaching, it makes far more sense for them to let the educators tell them what they need to hear. Stop the ridiculous bubble-headed testing that...
- sanguine33: My favorite is 2006 TotY’s suggestion that every student have an in-school advocate. By default that is the guidance counselor, but I don’t see the guidance counselor being equipped to handle the advocacy role. Every student should...
Funding, testing and tenure are 2015 House Republican education priorities / Joe Nathan’s Column (4)
- sanguine33: Thank you for the thanks. I feared you might stop letting me comment. Just so you understand the background, I just came off of unsuccessfully manning a poll 12 hours opposite 2 to 4 union members throughout the day. I was told some...
- Joe Nathan: Thanks to both Roger and Sanguine for their comments. I’ve asked several leading DFL’ers for their insights – hope to write about this next. Joe
- sanguine33: Excellent idea to determine what the Repubs would push come January, 2015. It worked. You identified what they will seek. My heart is with the many young teachers forced out of the profession because slots are retained by tenured...
- Roger Schaeffer: I Agree Changes are needed in Testing and Teacher Tenure needs to examined. I am a life long Democrate but this year for the first time did not vote entirely along Party Lines.
House, Senate education leaders share several priorities / Joe Nathan’s Column (1)
- sanguine33: If you prompt just a single meaningful adjustment to school practice in Minnesota thanks to your asking legislators from opposing Parties to list their priorities, that is a triumph of which you should be proud. Hopefully your...
Geeky glasses, Dumbo ears and a great teacher / Joe Nathan’s Column (3)
- Gary Gruber: Joe, What a great and timely column! An attitude of gratitude goes a long way toward making a positive difference in someone’s life and you have, once again, scored a bulls-eye, no pun intended. Schools where it’s “cool” to be smart...
- Jane Strauss: You have grown into those ears! Perhaps that is why you listen so well.
- Megan Olivia Hall: Joe, what a wonderful story. Thank you for a poignant and positive take on Thanksgiving.
Triple Digit Gains! (1)
- Kelsey Austin-King: Joe, I am so excited and inspired to see the results of this interim report. The success so far says to me that, with the right kind of support for school communities, we can get more students enrolled in dual credit courses,...
A Memorial to a Mistake / Joe Nathan’s Column (7)
- Joe Nathan: Shannon, I’d love to know more about which students you take to the memorial and what reactions they have. Please share more with us. Thanks.
- Shannon: This is very tastefully written. This happens to be one of my favorite memorials to take students to see. The discussion that is generated from this one memorial is priceless. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Informed urgency needed to help improve schools / Joe Nathan’s Column (7)
- Patrick Grant: I have to agree with Tom King, with his comments about not evaluating teachers on how students do on tests. I think that standardized testing should go away completely! We have this new Common Core Standards now, so let’s let the...
- Jerry Von Korff: Did the state chamber support or oppose the revenue increases proposed by the Dayton administration and the DFL majorities in House and Senate? Is the chamber’s position, that it will support any school reform as long as it...
- karen seashore: In a four-book review entitled of four controversial books on education published in 2013 entitled Ravitch, Ripley, Ravitch and me I included this observation about Rhee: “She is an academically brilliant person lacking sufficient...
- Scott R Sands: Child-based decisions start with asking the child about her short and long term goals and what she feels we can do to help. Then we must act on what learn from her. Anything else will be wide of the mark. It will be adult-based.
- Tom King: I am all for teacher evaluation. But it needs to be tied to teacher performance, not student performance based on tests. Let me tell you why. Many classrooms, particularly urban classrooms, have significant student turnover between...