charter schools and their development, achievement and ...charter schools and their development 3...

Running Head: CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT 1

Charter Schools and their Development, Achievement and Progress: An Annotated Bibliography

Nathan Hawk The George Washington University

EDUC 6114

CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT 2

Charter Schools and their Development, Achievement and Progress: An Annotated Bibliography

Introduction

Charter schools in America have a definite spot in the educational history for K-12

students. The first charter school law, passed in 1992, came from Minnesota. Charter schools are any independent public school that are “free to adapt curriculum and school culture in innovative ways” ("Charting a new," 2008). Because of this, these schools are held accountable, under their charter, for improving the student academic achievement.

Currently, there are around 5600 charter schools, with nearly 2 million students attending these schools, in 40 states ("Number of public," 2011). However, nearly 150 charter schools did not reopen for the 2011-2012 school year. Several reasons are cited, including “low enrollment, financial challenges and low academic performance” ("Number of public," 2011). Typical students at charter schools are different than at the traditional local school districts. The UCLA Civil Rights Project studied charter schools over 40 states and concluded that these charter schools tend to be more segregated than the other public schools. ("Themes in the," 2009).

Charter schools were ultimately developed to provide another option to students and their families. “Charter schools represent a wide variety of educational approaches—from schools stressing only core disciplines to Montessori schools to virtual schools that operate through telecommunication Networks” (Bodilly, 2009). In addition, students transferring in to these schools tended to be in the middle to lower achieving groups. In general, charter schools seem to be about as effective as the traditional public school for improving student academic achievement, but this trend varies. For instance, “students in virtual charter schools tend to have lower achievement test scores” (Bodilly, 2009). Recent studies have also found that there may be a greater probability of graduating from a charter school and going to college, but enough data were not available. Finally, as was the hope of charter school advocates, the expansion of charter schools did not seem to have an effect on improvement and achievement scores of the local school in the area. The following annotated bibliography is organized chronologically (older first) by subsection. The four subsections are: overview (studies that provide a general profile or state of charter schools), policy and practices (studies that deal with school policy or practices and how they are affecting the school, parents or students), charter school achievement (studies that use achievement scores to analyze achievement of only charter school(s)), and charter school vs. traditional school achievement (studies that compare achievement results of charter schools to traditional schools).

Overview

1. Lake, R. (Ed.). (2008). Hopes, fears, & reality: A balanced look at american charter schools in 2008. Center on Reinventing Public Education. Retrieved from http://www.crpe.org Summarize This overview of studies covers five unique areas of charter school development and policy: achievement, instructional organization, college preparatory charter schools, services for special needs kids, and creating diversity with varied suppliers of education. The researchers in


the first section completed randomization studies through lotteries and prior student achievement, and the authors found that more often than not, charter schools outperform their traditional counterpart. This appears to be a geographical phenomenon, to some extent. K-8 charter schools appear to have a greater advantage over traditional schools in achievement, the authors note. High schools consistently are underperforming in the charter school sector. Because of the extra accountability of charter schools, it is possible that the weaker schools will simply close, leaving stronger schools to continue their development. Another section of the research report states, from results of national Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), that charter schools are more likely to offer a focused instructional design (interdisciplinary, paired teaching, college focused courses and work based courses). Also, they offer different grade level and class level configurations with smaller classes (longer school year and day). Charter schools, based on the SASS, offer more support for low income students through extracurricular activities and support. In another section on serving special needs students, research from this report indicates that charter schools continue to be a more viable option for special needs students because of the varied instructional approaches and small class sizes. Assess This research report aligns well with other reports in this bibliography in terms of the general achievement and overview of charter school students, for example Allen & Consoletti (2010). More remarkably, a majority of the students are minority and low-income, and schools have developed instructional designs to assist them. This is a useful resource when considering various case studies and overviews of various schools and their progress. It is tough to determine the specific reliability of this source. It reports research that was completed by the publishing organization, but it does not go into great detail. Reflect This source is helpful because it provides a good overview of charter school achievement in several indicated areas. It helps to support my argument, from my research, that practices such as small class sizes and different instructional approaches are effective, especially for special education students. K-8 charter schools have more positive results, information that is new to me and allowed me to think differently about the role and success of charter schools in a community. 2. Zimmer, R ., Gill, B., Booker, K., Lavertu, S., Sass. T.R., & Witte, J. (2009). Charter schools in eight states: Effects on achievement, attainment, integration, and competition. RA�D

Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG869 Summarize This quasi-experimental and non-experimental research study design compared charter schools and traditional public schools (TPS) over eight states. It asked the following questions: what are the characteristics of students transferring to charter schools? What effects do charter schools have on achievement gains for those students who transfer in and out of charter schools? What is the effect of attending a charter school on graduation rate and college attendance? What effect do charter schools have on nearby traditional public school gains? The first question concludes overall that despite the fear, charter schools do not skim off the highest achievers from the TPS. In most instances, the transfer students are low achieving, and/or there is no statistically significant difference in prior achievement (disregarding primary schools, where there is no prior achievement for kindergarten). White students are in the


minority of transfer students, and most students decide to self-select schools that are generally racially similar to their previous schools. However, black students are more prone to select schools that have a higher proportion of black students. Regarding the second question, achievement gains are not significantly different in charter schools that the TPS. This difference is more negative in Ohio, the authors note (when adding Pre-K grades) because of virtual schools and the lack of achievement. This may be due to the unique characteristics of the students attending these schools, they note. The third question concludes that charter middle school students were more likely to graduate and attend college after attending a charter high school than a traditional high school. The authors conclude after analyzing data from the last question that there is no negative or positive impact from charter schools opening nearby a TPS. Assess As one of the first studies to combine a larger national sampling from different geographic centers, it provides solid evidence for charter school development, the major goal of this source. Because thus source is national, similar to Stanford University (2009), it is quite useful. This is still a relatively small sampling of eight states, all with differing charter laws which could affect data and internal and external validity, but it provides a basis for policy decisions. Reflect As charter schools age, research shows that achievement also increases, which may offer support for successful operators to manage or start new schools as others are closed. Age of charter school and achievement is well-aligned to my previous knowledge and argument. One conclusion from this source, that virtual schools negatively affect overall data, is concerning and new information for me to analyze. This information might be useful for authorizers and policy makers to show caution with virtual schools. Maybe virtual schools should not be widespread in primary and secondary schools? 3. Allen, J., & Consoletti, A. (Eds.). (2010). Annual survey of america’s charter schools. Retrieved from http://www.charterschoolcenter.org/resource/annual-survey-charter- schools-2010 Summarize The Center for Education Reform annually deploys and analyzes data from a survey sent to America’s charter schools. This report, the 2010 version, details various trends in charter schools. The survey was sent to over 4600 operating charter schools beginning in January 2009. By September, 21 percent of the recipient schools had returned the survey. The analysis was divided into four key areas. In the first area, size and scope, the analysis stated that there has been a steady growth of charter schools over the past year, and has been steady for several years at around 9 percent. State charter laws vary. States such as Florida, Arizona and California have strong charter school laws which are more lenient on the creation of new schools. In general, charter schools have enrollment numbers less than their traditional counterparts, and over 65 percent of charter schools have waiting lists. Growth is best exhibited when there are multiple authorizers (state department of education, non-profit, church, school district, city). The second area of discussion is demographics. Despite a flawed interpretation by some charter school opponents, charter schools overwhelmingly educate poor students at a much larger rate than their local traditional school. The study notes that poverty in schools is defined by


those students eligible for the federal free or reduced lunch program. For several reasons (no kitchens, cyber school, management difficulties, etc.) many charter schools do not participate in the program, which skews the data. The third area, operations, discusses several trends. Charter schools on average receive about 2/3 of what the traditional local school receives per pupil and spend less than the local school. Finally, states with weak charter laws do not allow for the freedom for teachers to perform at their best (extra instructional time, days, etc.) because of collective bargaining. Rationale for remaining with a traditional pay schedule for teachers is to produce competition for the best teachers, but charter schools are trying to implement a merit-based pay system. The final category concerns curriculum. 88 percent administer the state standardized tests, while many also administer other tests during the year too. Many schools receive waivers to implement new curriculum that allows some schools to portray a particular niche. Many schools opt for a longer school day or year. Assess The goal of this source was to give a general “state of charter schools” report. As a report on charter schools, the authors provided no perspectives from traditional local schools which without may have influenced their analysis. This, in my opinion, may add bias, but uses objective information when reporting. As I continue to work in and advocate for charter schools, using this data will provide a foundation for a good argument as a proponent of charter schools. Reflect Through analysis of this source, it is clear that the growth of charter schools continues. , it is difficult to determine conclusively the overall data with a survey return rate of 21 percent. This is concerning and a caution must be provided, and one reason that this source is not as helpful as other studies in this report. Also, it only provides a context for the state of charter schools, but no solid achievement information. This study does however, help support my argument that charter schools are increasing and becoming vital to the education system.

Policy and Practices

4. Corcoran, S.P., Jennings, J.L., & Thomas, J.S. (2009). The gender gap in charter school attendance. �ew York University, Institute for Education and Social Policy. Retrieved from http://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?q=cache:Kp6Z_TLsjdAJ:scholar.google.co m/+the+gender+gap+in+charter+school+attendance&hl=en&as_sdt=0,36 Summarize The gender gap, this study notes, is evident and in some instances statistically significant both in charter and non-charter schools. This non-experimental study analyzed national data to arrive at the mean difference in the gender gap nationally and across states. The researchers also completed a longitudinal analysis in North Carolina to examine the gender gap in relationship with attrition. The study used data from 1999-00 to 2006-07. Charter schools have a significant higher proportion of girls enrolled than boys (share of female enrollees over traditional schools), and the proportion increases in the secondary level. This increase continued to grow throughout the years of this study. The authors suggest several aspects that might suggest female enrollment: appeal (type of curriculum), parental preferences (safety concerns), educational needs (special ed. services, provided more often to boys, are weaker at charter schools), behavior


(girls behave better, might be better suited for charter schools), academic achievement (boys tend to perform worse and more likely to drop out), and school accountability pressure (to increase performance of school, schools benefit from enrolling and retaining females). Attrition in charter schools is significantly higher, the authors report, than in traditional schools, but boys do not leave significantly more than girls. The authors suggest this might signify that the gap primarily occurs at enrollment. In addition, the gender gap by state when relating traditional school and charter school is also significant. The highest, Louisiana, has a gender gap of 7% between charter and non charter schools. Nearly all states in the analysis had a positive gender gap (greater female share of enrollment in charter schools). Assess This study provides some useful information, but most likely, it brings up more questions, with lack of solid explanations of the results, which would be studied in future research. The results of this study might explain some of the achievement gains exhibited by charter schools that were discussed in other portions of this bibliography. Also, the study itself is quite dissimilar in scope and focus from the other studies in this bibliography. Reflect The use of these results in my professional activities may be limited as it offers little practical analysis to apply in teaching students. This study has not changed my attitudes or beliefs about the topic, but it reaffirms my own experiences with gender gap and motivation in my school. Many of the results are similar to my experiences and congruent to my overall argument. 5. Smith, J., & Wohlstetter, P. (2009). Parent involvement in urban charter schools: A new paradigm or the status quo? National Center on School Choice, Vanderbilt University. Retrieved from http://www.vanderbilt.edu/schoolchoice Summarize The authors of this qualitative study discussed several key findings from interviews of charter school authorizers and principals. The study involved twelve schools in six states. The participants were first selected from states with general diversity, and then chose urban cities in those states. Next, they chose schools in these cities with strong parental involvement (from interviews with authorizers), and then finally the researchers conducted interviews with school leaders for more detailed information. They discovered, using concepts of Epstein’s Framework of Types of Involvement: most parental involvement occurs within Level One (basic obligation of families), for example, getting their child to school on time. Level 2 activities (obligations of school) were common among the participating schools. This included parent-teacher conferences, translate materials (newsletter). Charter schools tend to offer incentives and more flexibility for their families. Level Three (involvement at school) was fairly common. This includes volunteering at the school, and in some charter schools parents are rewarded for their work with incentives or extra credit given to their children. Type Four activities, involvement at home, varied. This includes reading to child (required in some schools) or homework help. Some of the charter schools also offered their families help by providing materials for parents to assist their children. Levels Five and Six were less common. These dealt with involvement in school parent governing and focus groups (five) and community activism (six).


Charter schools were more willing to be flexible and provide opportunities and information for their parents to get involved (teacher conferences took place during other forms of communication). Parent contracts were used in some schools (volunteer hours, also managed on a webpage on the school’s site). The major difference from traditional schools is the involvement on the school’s governing board, which positions are often held by parents in these charter schools. Assess This study is a practical case study of elements of parental involvement that can be exported and applied to other charter schools, since this study analyzed only schools with strong parental involvement. However, there needs to be further research into anecdotal evidence from parents, teachers, student and others. This also may not generalize to non-urban schools, thus caution must be noted. This study is similar to Julius (2011), which also looked at parental participation and views. Reflect This study is very helpful to me as a charter school teacher. It offers many school policies that are useful for getting parents involved. In many charter school settings, especially those that serve low-income students, parents are not highly involved. Some of these strategies might be worth trying in my own school. I am surprised and did learn that, at least in this sample, parents are more involved than I expected. 6. Morton, M.L., & Bennett, S. (2010). Scaffolding culturally relevant pedagogy: Preservice teachers in an urban university/school collaboration. Journal of Ethnographic and

Qualitative Research, 4. Retrieved from http://www.cedarville.edu/event/eqrc/journal/journal.htm Summarize This study followed pre-service teachers as they tutored low-income, at-risk and culturally diverse students at a charter school. The researchers completed observations, interviews and content analyses throughout their study to help answer three questions. Paraphrased, they are: What preconceived impressions did each of the pre-service teachers have of the students? How are (or are not) these preservice teachers implementing culturally relevant teaching? What effect do the strategies have on student engagement? Results from interviews and observations concluded that the teachers were generally flexible in their instruction in adapting to the cultural situation and student interests. Additionally, the teachers perceived well any lack of progress or confidence. Teachers were encouraged and shared basic personal anecdotes (family pictures, etc) to help connect with students. Students opened up and began speaking more too. Technology and the visual arts were used for incentives and for extra teaching during the study. This increased enthusiasm and motivation. Assess This qualitative study differs from other studies presented in this bibliography, for example Smith & Wohlstetter (2009). This study focused on student perceptions instead. Generalization to other sites and schools is most unlikely with this case study, as most qualitative research tends to be specific to that sample. In addition, the pre-service teachers for this study were teachers that had little experience in culturally diverse teaching, part of a homogenous


participant group. The goal of this study was to determine how well pre-service teachers adapted to cultural situations and how students responded. Reflect These results could be used for teacher education programs and current teachers to provide ideas for working in this type of setting. Further research should include teachers of all experience levels, so that it may be more helpful for me to apply to my setting. This study is different from the central theme of this bibliography, but it adds value to the overall bibliography nonetheless. As a result of this study, I am more confident about the ability of minorities to learn and adapt to new situations. 7. Stuit, D.A. (2010). Are bad schools immortal? The scarcity of turnarounds and shutdowns in both charter and district sectors. Thomas B Fordham Institute. Retrieved from http://www.fordhaminstitute.org Summarize This study sought to determine the rate of schools (both charter and district) that, when initially defined as low-performing, make a turnaround after five years. And, of those that do not make a turnaround, how many are shut down? This longitudinal, non experimental study examines proficiency data (math and reading) from 10 states of both charter and district elementary and middle schools. The researcher defines low performing as schools in the lowest decile (10th percentile or lower) of proficiency scoring at the state level. A turnaround is defined by schools that, after five years (after the 2008-2009 school year), are above the 50th percentile on proficiency scoring. Twenty-six schools (1 charter and 25 district) made a turnaround. Of all the schools in the sample that remained persistently low performing, only 19% and 11% of charter schools and districts schools shut down, respectively. Assess The goal of this study was to determine how many schools are improving realistically and what schools are closing if underperforming. The alarmingly low rate of closure presented in this study is a cause for concern. This is the first study in this bibliography to address concerns about the rate of closure and the lack of accountability. As reported in other entries, for example Allen & Consoletti (2010), charter schools are given extensive autonomy with the understanding that they are held accountable for results. This is a useful source sine it is reliable and objective through the use of quantitative data. It presents a poor outlook for some schools which lend credibility and objectivity to the study. Reflect This source is useful for policymakers and charter authorizers as evidence of lack of following through on their commitments. The major goal of the charter school movement has to provide opportunities for autonomous schools to get better results and increase competition to improve education. This study is contrary to that goal and is directly against the argument that I would prefer to make that charter schools are starting to be held accountable and add value to the educational landscape. 8. Julius, T. (2011). New hampshire charter schools parent study 2011. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=ED528320 Summarize


This study presented results from a survey and focus group sessions of parents of New Hampshire charter school students. Over 87% of the participants are part of a two family household, 90% are white/Caucasian, a plurality of the participants have a household income over $100,000 and over 36% of participants hold a master’s degree. The author notes that these demographics are a major limiting factor of the survey research and many groups are underrepresented in the study. Other results are: many parents are uninformed about critical charter school issues, yet over 96% are somewhat to fully satisfied with their child’s school. When deciding on a charter school to enroll, the greatest deciding factors are the philosophy or structure of the school and the academic reputation of the school. Parents are generally satisfied with the personal attention and culture created at the school while they are dissatisfied with funding issues and lack of after school activities. Assess The goal of the study was to examine schools in the state of New Hampshire to determine how parents view the schools. The internal validity (could these results be biased since higher income families were represented? What other factors contributed to these results?) and external validity (the authors underrepresentation of other groups, thus generalization to the larger population is difficult) is weak. The use of the online survey may have been a factor that overly represented some groups. It may be too that New Hampshire demographically is different from other parts of the country, and this resulted in these different results. The participants in this survey study were demographically different from the typical parent in many other charter schools in the country and discussed in this bibliography, i.e. Allen & Consoletti (2010). Reflect I found this study to be weak and mostly useless for any application since it does not generalize very well to my geographic location. Some of the results of this study, that parents are unaware of charter laws, policy and operation does not surprise me and aligns with current knowledge and experience. This source is somewhat helpful to me. Parents need to be more informed. This study suggests this fact. I may need to change some of my communication practices with my students’ parents in the future. 9. Schumacher, M.P. (2011). Parental expectations and satisfaction with charter schools-

Evidence from a midwestern city school district. Retrieved from Proquest Dissertations and Theses. (864742504). Summarize This study analyzed levels of parental satisfaction and specific expectations of these same parents of the charter schools that they choose to send their children. This study surveyed parents from charter schools that were sponsored by the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC). The study included 7 schools and nearly four hundred responses, majority black and Hispanic. The three questions for the research study included: what are the parental expectations related to satisfaction, are some expectations more important than others, and does this relationship between expectation and satisfaction differ among family characteristics (ethnicity, SES, education level)? Despite the lack of academic achievement from these charter schools, parents are generally fairly satisfied with their child’s charter school (2.283 mean Likert scale average;


3=very satisfied). White parents tended to be more satisfied because of academic expectations; black parents tended to be more satisfied because of school culture; and Hispanic parents tended to be satisfied because of extracurricular activities. Assess Results showed that despite the lack of academic achievement from these charter schools is similar to Julius (2011) provided in this bibliography. This is a useful source because the study documents the views of parents, often not studied, to determine what is important in a charter school. The study relies on viewpoints of parents which might limit both reliability and objectivity of results. The study included a sufficient sample to confidently use results. Reflect This study has important implications for both charter and traditional public schools. This information may help to “market” certain characteristics of the school to certain families to attract their students. In addition, school officials can use this study’s analysis to improve certain facets of their school for families. This study is still concerning: parents are still fairly satisfied with their child’s charter school despite no improved academic performance over traditional schools. Why? And what can be done? This might be appropriate for future research. 10. Smith, J., Wohlstetter, P., Kuzin, C.A., & De Pedro, K. (2011). Parent involvement in urban charter schools: New strategies for increasing participation. The School Community

Journal, 21(1). Retrieved from http://scholar.googleusercontent.com/scholar?q=cache:HDP5obRrxFAJ:scholar.google.c om/+Parent+involvement+in+urban+charter+schools:+New+strategies+for+increasing+p articipation&hl=en&as_sdt=0,36 Summarize This qualitative study focused on 12 schools that showed strong parent involvement in order to determine certain strategies, rather than activities that are a benefit to the school, parent and student. Parental involvement in charter schools may be more prevalent and accessible than in traditional public schools. In addition, the new ways that schools and parents are working together to increase parental involvement is also encouraging, the authors of this study note. Most of the parents had some involvement with the school, through parent-teacher conferences or minor involvement in the classrooms. Schools offered rewards and incentive for participating in the school and other activities. The study determined that it was common for the charter schools to offer services (translators, classes, homework help for parents) to better serve their population. In some states, there are charter laws that actually require certain types and degrees of parental involvement. For example, some states require that a parent in the school be on the school’s governing board. Parents in urban charter schools encounter circumstances that hinder their ability to participate. Technology is starting to be used in some schools to schedule and maintain volunteer time, the authors report. Assess The goal of this source was to provide a profile of parental involvement in several charter schools. This study is similar to Julius (2011) in that it considers parental involvement and views. The study was dependent upon unbiased views of authorizers who might not have a clear picture of parental involvement activities in their schools. This may affect how reliable and objective this study becomes. Also, a majority of the charter schools are located in urban areas, so some of these strategies might be able to be implemented successfully through the other parts


of the population. One issue that will affect objectivity and reliability is that the sample included only schools that had a strong parental presence, perceived by the charter school authorizer. Reflect This study is helpful for my own job and research. It provides practices that can be applied to other schools. This study provides useful information for all educators, principals and authorizers directly involved in the daily running of the school. Some of these strategies may well be strategies that would be effective in other schools. The results of the study did surprise me and changed my views about the involvement of parents in charter schools. The results are contrary to my views about parental involvement.

Charter School Achievement

11. Mac Iver, M. A., & Farley-Ripple, E. (2007). The baltimore kipp ujima village academy, 2002-2006: A longitudinal analysis of student outcomes. Center for Social Organization

of Schools. Summarize This multiple cohort, longitudinal quantitative research study presented findings from a four year at a Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) Academy in Baltimore, MD. The school serves around 300 students, and it opened in 2002. The major focus of this study was to determine what if any effects the KIPP Academy had on fifth grade achievement in math and reading. The researchers used the primary cohort group and a comparison group of students (students who transferred in to KIPP after September 30 of a particular school year). Overall, there was not a significant difference between the two groups and relevant demography (race, free lunch). Also, there was little to no difference in prior academic achievement in fourth grade between the two groups. The study makes several conclusions from the study. One, KIPP students had a statistically significant difference (higher) in math achievement than the comparison students. As students remained at KIPP throughout their 6-8 grades, the difference between their achievement and of the comparison group increased significantly. The researchers were able to measure prior fourth grade achievement, but were unable to measure other factors that may contribute to these data, including family support data. Reading achievement scores were not significantly different or the KIPP Academy cohorts were lower than the comparison group. The researchers state that it is likely that several factors may contribute to the higher rates at the KIPP Academy. These includes longer school days, longer school years (alternate Saturdays, three week summer school), positive school environment including a more feasible student to teacher ratio and less behavior issues, and academic rigor (especially in math). Of particular concern, and suggestion for further research, the authors suggest further qualitative studies to identify factors contributing to high attrition rates. Assess This study was completed in the Midwest and is a useful source that provides information about successful practices. This study aligns well with another study in this bibliography on KIPP schools, Clark Tuttle, Teh, Nichols-Barrer, Gil, & Gleason (2010). This study did only analyze one school with a specialized program, so the source may not be highly reliable or generalize well. Since charter schools tend to have smaller class size and enrollment than the


traditional public school, some of this information can be applied to charter schools in my geographical region. Reflect This report is helpful to me as it provides information about good practices of successful schools. The preceding research provides ample support, through my research, for the success of charter schools, albeit in one individual setting. It provides some characteristics that are critical for success in a charter school, in fact characteristics for any school. This source supports my argument that charter schools are making achievement gains. 12. Zimmer, R., Blanc, S., Gill. B., & Christman, J. (2008). Evaluating the performance of philadelphia’s charter schools. RAND Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR550.html Summarize As in many other cities in the country, Philadelphia has seen a great surge of enrollment of students in charter schools. This increasing enrollment, along with the proliferation of charter school creation in the city is a compelling reason for this study. The researchers longitudinally collected data about math and reading achievement from both statewide and other standardized tests. Data were both aggregated and also broken down into racial/ethnic categories, school type (grade) and school type (mission statement/vision). Some of the questions of the research study included: who goes to charter schools, how do charter schools perform, does the type of charter school matter, do charter schools cause traditional schools to perform better, and do charter schools have more turnover than traditional schools? In terms of racial composition, there was little difference between the charter school that a student chooses, and the racial proportion of the one he/she leaves. In this study, charter school enrollees have a slightly lower prior achievement level than the district wide average of the traditional school they left. Achievement gains were determined to be statistically insignificant from gains by traditional school students. Also, traditional schools are not performing better because of charter school competition. Assess The analysis of data from this study is fairly contrary to some other studies within this bibliography. The length of time that a charter school has been operating does not appear to have a significant effect, contrary to other studies in this bibliography, including Johnson (2011). Also contrarily, high school enrollment in a charter school tends to signify a small positive effect; see Lake (2008). Results of this study were difficult to understand, through the lack of proper organization and clarity of the report. Reflect This study is useful to be able to make comparisons where possible with other studies, and to begin to develop assumptions about a national picture of charter schools. This study does highlight still a continuing trend that differs from charter school advocates’ arguments: that charter schools are not significantly outperforming traditional schools, nor are the achievement gains of traditional schools observed as a result of charter school competition. This study, along with similar studies, continues to challenge my perceptions about charter schools and achievement.


13. Clark Tuttle, C., Teh, B., Nichols-Barrer, I., Gil, B.P., & Gleason, P. (2010). Student Characteristics and Achievement in 22 KIPP Middle Schools. Mathematica Policy

Research, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.mathematica-mpr.com Summarize The results from this longitudinal matched non-experimental study including 22 current Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools provide many positive signs for the achievement of their students in math and reading. KIPP Schools primarily service 5th through 8th grades and are comprised of a rigorous curriculum with five main areas of focus throughout the school: high expectations, choice and commitment, more time, power to lead and focus on results. In addition, KIPP schools do not engage in social grade promotion, but rather only when students have successfully mastered the material do they move up to the next grade level (retention rates thus are significantly higher at KIPP schools). This practice, along with student attrition rates decreased validity for the researchers. KIPP schools overwhelmingly enroll minorities, low-income students. Baselines achievement scores (for two prior years) were overwhelmingly significant and negative for future KIPP students when compared to similar and matched non-KIPP students. Within two years of the three years of study, 18 of the 22 KIPP schools had significantly positive impacts on math scores (and 15 schools in reading). Only 2 schools had a significant negative impact. One KIPP school that showed a significant negative impact in year one reversed to a significant positive impact in year three. Assess The objective of the study was to produce data and analysis that hopefully showed positive impacts for student achievement at KIPP schools. The study considers many factors, and accounts for some of these factors which affect validity. The study is well designed and follows methodological considerations similar to previous studies, such as Mac Iver & Farley-Ripple (2007). Because this is a national study, the information and conclusions are reliable and provide a good picture of this program. The study might lose some reliability and objectivity since It only looks at KIPP schools, a well-known national network of schools that are innovative and performing successfully, but structurally different from other charter schools. This source is still useful for leaders who can replicate some of KIPP schools’ policies and practices. Reflect Results from this study may impact curriculum and ideology consideration for current and future schools. For instance, more instructional time has shown, at least in this study (and others) to have an effect on achievement, and this is a practice encouraged in other developed countries. Moving away more consistently from social grade promotion to mastery level and grade promotion has affected achievement. These results support charter school proponents, including myself, that suggest new innovative policies produce positive results. 14. Friebele, D. (2010). Achievement in problem solving. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtS earch_SearchValue_0=ED511032&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED5110 32 Summarize The author of this study completed this action research study in his 6, 7, and 8 grade math classrooms. It posed three questions about how the use of a manipulative in his math classroom


would affect both student confidence and overall math achievement. Quantitative (summative assessments weekly) and qualitative data (survey, interview, anecdotal evidence) were used. General improvement in achievement scores occurred through the eight weeks of study. Larger gains occurred after the third and fourth weeks of the study (the first two weeks were used for baseline data). In addition, from survey results, the author determined that students were initially reticent to use a manipulative for class activities. Interview data provided quality information about the improved ability to decipher how to solve a math problem (e.g. what math operation to use). Results from the eighth grade class that investigated the use of social interaction for improvement in achievement also yielded generally positive results. Discussing problems with fellow students was a motivating and successful activity. Assess The action research study provides good evidence of a successful practice in math classrooms. However, this is one teacher, in one school in a predominately low socioeconomic status charter school. To generalize, a logical argument for similarity in demographics and structure would be necessary. Also, since the researcher was also the teacher, and appropriate and timely feedback was rare, this could have impacted results. This is the only action research study in the bibliography, and it is unlike the other studies in this paper. Reflect The author also noted previous research and information from another source that essentially stated that the goal should be student learning, and the tool used doesn’t necessarily matter. This study is very helpful to me, and I can use the conclusions immediately in my math teaching and instruction. It provides information about various manipulatives that work and might be worth experimenting in my own teaching. 15. Clark, M., Gleason, P., Clark Tuttle, C., & Silverberg, M. (2011). Do charter schools improve student achievement? Evidence from a national randomized study. Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.mathematica-mpr.com Summarize This national study including a sample of 36 charter schools is a randomized experimental study. The purpose of the study is to determine what, if any effect, charter schools have on achievement. The study followed two cohorts, those that were randomly selected in a lottery for enrollment (treatment group) and those that were not selected by lottery to a charter school (control group). The process that charter schools use to select students by lottery is random, allowing all students to have equal probability of being chosen. This study is one of the first to assure complete randomness in the lottery process by overseeing the lottery process and verifying the process. This study was designed to improve the external validity of the study over preceding studies by including non-urban schools along with urban schools in the study. Schools in the study had to have a sufficiently long waiting list. The researchers used only students from the treatment group for whom they had achievement data from the previous year. The characteristics of the treatment and control groups were statistically similar when comparing baseline data. Charter school had no significant impacts on achievement. Rather, the treatment group scored lower than the control group on state assessments. By race or gender, there was no significant difference. However, the differences were statistically significant and positive for disadvantaged students (those qualifying for free and reduced lunch) over more advantaged


students. Also, schools have more positive impacts in an urban setting than non-urban settings. The researchers suggest that opportunities for control group students in may have been weaker for less advantaged students in urban areas. Assess The goal of this research was to track achievement gains among students who won or lost lottery selection for charter school enrollment. This report isn’t very useful because the study excludes many other schools that could have been used; other schools were not used because they were not oversubscribed. Though the research discusses factors that suggest larger impacts in urban schools, the study does not generalize sufficiently across the nation, and not at my school, with its non-traditional setting. The study design compares to other studies in this bibliography, for example, Abdulkadiroglu et al. (2009). Reflect In applying this research to my own work setting, this research doesn’t provide a consistent achievement trend, and is unhelpful to the central argument of my research. The data does suggest that there needs to continue to be a grave focus on continuing achievement and innovation in charter schools to achieve success, but this study contradicts a major claim of this bibliography that charter schools are outperforming traditional schools. With this study, I am beginning to reassess my view of charter school achievement, as the data are not very conclusive, in most instances.

Charter School vs. Traditional School Achievement

16. Buddin, R., & Zimmer, R. (2005). Is charter school competition in california improving the performance of traditional public schools? RAND Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/pubs/working_papers/WR297.html Summarize The researchers of this study examined what, if any, competitive effects charter schools operating in California have on the traditional public schools nearby them. The study uses data from a survey of principals of traditional public schools and student achievement data from six traditional public schools that use student identifiers. These districts (and nearby charter schools) are predominantly Hispanic, but with much racial and income diversity. Further, much research has focused on the result, attitudes and achievement of choosers (those attending charter schools), but rarely has there been a focus on the other non-choosers (remaining in traditional schools) and their achievement. Results from the survey of principals suggest that they do not feel any competitive effect or pressure from increasing charter schools. In fact, the principals have made few changes to how they operate (11.6% changed instructional practices statewide; 25% did so in the six districts) as a result of charter school growth. The most significant effect that principals noticed (though less than 20%) was the ability to recruit and retain quality teachers diminished. Examining student achievement data, there is little evidence, from the researchers’ analyses that charter schools are having a competitive effect on student achievement in California’s traditional public schools. The researchers report that elementary reading, but not math, has a negative effect on nearby traditional public school. In high school reading, the distance to a high school affects the reading score of traditional high schools. In other words, reading scores tend to be higher the further away the school is from a charter school.


Assess Charter school advocates, as it is highlighted in this study and several others in this bibliography, including Stuit (2010) and Zimmer, Blanc, Gill & Christman (2008), argue that these autonomous schools directly and indirectly help create competition and increase achievement in traditional public schools by nearly forcing the traditional public schools to adapt and compete for students with new initiatives. On the other hand, this research is different from many studies in this bibliography as it focuses on traditional school effects rather than charter school effects, the major goal of this study. Reflect This research, at least in California, suggests that one of the main arguments for charter schools, the competition it creates, is not existent. This is different from the argument that charter school proponents, including myself, have stressed. This is a helpful source in that it provides results that suggest traditional schools are affected by charter schools. In the future, other leaders need to find ways to make these effects positive. 17. De Luca, B., & Hinshaw, S. (2006). Comparing academic achievement in charter schools and public schools: The role of money. Journal of Educational Research and Policy

Studies, 6(1). Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=EJ844649 Summarize Past research, as reported in this study has shown a positive, direct relationship between student achievement and expenditures per pupil in public schools. The issue of this ex post facto, casual comparative study was to determine if a discrimination was evident between Ohio charter schools and the traditional public schools from data of the two variables listed above: student achievement (performance index score) and expenditure per pupil (instructional costs, administrative costs, building operations). Arguments have been made that the less than stellar achievement is a result of less spending per pupil. Funding for Ohio public charter schools comes from various sources. The major funding is the state foundation funding that follows the pupil to the school he/she is enrolled. Funding for other services (poverty, disabled, etc.) also follow the student. Data from 129 charter schools and 30 traditional public schools were analyzed. In general, but most consistently at the high school level, both achievement and spending was higher in the traditional public school than in the charter school. However, the mean expenditure per pupil spending was higher at the middle school charter school sample than the traditional school, but the performance index score (achievement) was nearly twice as high at the traditional public high school than charter high school. When comparing the two variables, there was no statistically significant correlation between expenditure per pupil and achievement except at the traditional middle school level. In fact, all correlation coefficients (except traditional high school) are negative, suggesting that as per pupil spending increases, achievement decreases. This result is contrary to past research that suggests a positive correlation. Most interestingly, per pupil spending appears to play a larger role in achievement at the high school level than at elementary or middle schools. Assess The goal of this study was to determine what, if any, correlation exists between per pupil spending and achievement. It is not too useful since the focus is quite specific. Although this


study provides some insight into finding and achievement, more research, especially at a larger scale (multiple states) is needed to provide a more reliable and objective analysis of the data for application. However, a larger scale study will be complicated because each state has major variations in charter laws and how funding is allocated. Reflect As a teacher, this study is not particularly helpful to me. It does not help support nor refute any argument of this bibliography, but it seems to contradict other past research. The results of the study suggest a negative correlation (spending increases, achievement decreases), so I would need to complete more research to study this study usefulness. I have certainly changed my thinking some when considering use of money in schools and how it is proportioned. Is the money being improperly used? 18. Ross, S., McDonald, A., McSparrin-Gallagher, B., & Slawson, D. (2006). Student-level

analysis of year 2 (2004-2005) achievement outcomes for tennessee charter schools. Center for Research in Educational Policy. Retrieved from http://crep.memphis.edu

Summarize This quantitative study focused on achievement gains observed in seven charter schools in the Shelby County, Tennessee (Memphis). This includes three schools in the first year of their operation and four schools in their second year of operation. Charter school students (treatment group) were matched with a non-charter school student (control group) in as many as seven specific criteria. Some of the criteria included: prior year school enrollment, race, gender, lunch status, grade, and scores on prior achievement. Achievement at the end of year was analyzed from the state standardized tests in Tennessee for the respective grade level. Demographically, a majority (over 90%) of all enrolled students was African American; a majority of enrolled students in each school qualified for free or reduced lunches. The school represented various foci: college preparatory, visual arts, health sciences, at risk, and science/technology. The researchers state that there was a significant difference in achievement among the second year schools when compared to the control group. For example, in three of the second year schools, significant positive effects were discovered on both reading and math achievement. Some grade levels exhibited stronger effects than others. The Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering saw a more pronounced effect among their year two eighth grade students than their seventh grade of year one seventh and eighth grade students, suggesting a higher effect the second year. Finally, Smithson-Craighead Academy, the lone school in the study serving primarily at risk students had no significant difference. Results for the first year schools did not produce significant differences with the control group. The City University School of Liberal Arts (serving ninth graders during year of comparison) saw no trends with the only indicator studied (Algebra 1 Gateway Assessment). The Star Academy exhibited some significant positive or suggested positive effects in both English/Language Arts and Mathematics. Assess The goal of this source was to provide a description of achievement of Shelby County charter schools. This report is relatively small in scale, as it focuses on seven schools in one county. In addition, it includes students primarily from one race and socioeconomic status level. Consequently, this study only serves to help validate the policies of the schools in the study, and


does not fully apply to other schools in the state or the country. Nonetheless, the study is useful and has major implications for the schools in the study. Reflect The results imply that the policies, curriculum, and instructional strategies of these schools are having a noted positive effect. Also, by the results, in the second year of operation, a school appears to be having more positive effects suggesting that with time, charter schools are increasing achievement. I would expect a similar increase for the first year schools after data is collected from their second year of operation. This supports my argument; charter schools are seeing achievement gains, but the study does not compare with traditional schools, so it is difficult to use this study and is not very helpful. 19. Ni, Y. (2007). The impact of charter schools on the efficiency of traditional public schools Evidence from michigan. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775709000235 Summarize This quantitative 10 year longitudinal study, from 1994-2004, analyzed the proliferation of charter schools in Michigan and their competitive effect on traditional public schools (TPS) achievement. During the introduction, using the microeconomic theory to discuss school efficiency, the author describes inputs as teachers, students, financial resources, and the outputs are listed as student outcomes or scores. Efficiency relies on better outcomes/outputs with less resources/inputs or similar outcomes with less resources. Through the proliferation of charter schools, TPS is exhibiting less input (both in student enrollment and financial resources). In Michigan, like many other states with charter laws, the state foundation money follows the student to their current school. Thus, TPS loses revenue whenever a student withdraws. Unlike other states, Michigan is not permitted to seek additional tax revenue at the local level to offset these reductions. Some scholars, the author notes, suggest that TPS will not be more efficient since the self selection of a charter school by students may skim out the higher achieving students. Overall, when viewing 4th and 7th grade math and reading data, charter schools have had a negative effect on student achievement on TPS in Michigan. The researcher categorized duration in three ways, short-run (0-4 years), medium-run (4-6 years) and long-run (6+ years) and defined the study by a loss of 6% or more TPS enrolled students as the indicator for analysis. In the short run, the negative impact was negligible, but as the amount of time increased to the long-run, where TPS had a loss of 6% or more students for more than 6 years, then the impact on achievement was more negative. This is largely an urban phenomenon in Michigan, the author notes, as most charter schools are located and compete in urban areas. Assess The goal of the study was to determine achievement gains in Michigan charter schools. One conclusion discussed, that the charter schools skim out the high achieving students, is contrary to other studies presented in this bibliography, i.e. Allen & Consoletti (2010) that suggest lower income, and lower achieving students tend to enroll at charter schools. Also, the author noted one similar study with North Carolina schools which saw no difference or slightly positive impacts in achievement. Since this study was completed with Michigan schools only, it may not produce similar results in other states with different funding and charter laws. Reflect


This research study provides much data and information about the adverse effects of charter schools on TPS in Michigan. This research will be useful more for policymakers that wish to adapt or change laws to level the playing field, so to speak. This might also encourage TPS personnel to adapt their model to encourage students to stay enrolled. The results, negative achievement or no achievement, contradicts the central argument of my research. I did learn that there may be noticeable adverse effects for traditional schools that lose students at significant rates. I do not support the failure of traditional schools as a charter school proponent, so this data is concerning. 20. Berends, M., Mendiburo, M., & Nicotera, A. (2008). Charter school effects in an urban school district. An analysis of student achievement growth. Retrieved from http://www.vanderbilt.edu/schoolchoice/ Summarize This research design, analyzing growth over eight semesters of a traditional school calendar, analyzed the achievement growth of Crossroads charter school students over their traditional school counterparts in the Crossroads district. Crossroads is an urban school district. Each of the charter schools in this district (except one) was authorized under a special initiative by the mayor. Through a rigorous application process to open a school and accountability measures (standardized tests, site visits by expert team, survey of parents, staff, students, review of finances), the operations and accountability measures are quite unique and differs from most all charter schools examined in this bibliography. The district used assessments from Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). The district tested twice a year in reading and mathematics. The study matched charter school students to similar traditional public school students. Achievement gains generally decreased in the first year that a student moved into a charter school; that is, the achievement gains were negative or less than traditional public school counterparts. If a student stayed within the district’s charter schools, achievement gains increased, and in some cases improved more than at the traditional public school. This drop in achievement during the first year is consistent across most grade levels studied (2-9), however the effect sizes (difference in growth rates between charter and traditional student) are greater (positive) for three grade levels in the first year. From the data analysis, it takes up to 2.5 years before any positive effect size occurs for charter school students. Effect sizes are more positive for charter schools at the earlier grades. Assess This study’s main goal or objective was to determine if new and innovative strategies, including high accountability resulted in higher achievement in charter schools in one single district. Some of the results, but mainly that K-8 schools are showing better gains is similar to results from Stanford University (2009) in this bibliography. The authors provide an outside view and use quantitative data to increase the reliability and objectivity of the study. The uniqueness of these schools may make any generalizations difficult to other districts or states. Reflect Conclusions from this study do not allow an opportunity to examine and conclude why the effect sizes are occurring. The unique structure of the schools and the accountability system may be contributing factors. This initial study may provide some information that helps future authorizers when applying for and operating a school. The study is informational, but primarily not useful for me. It documents the achievement of a charter school system vastly different from


many other schools regarding accountability. The study might suggest some key practices for policy makers and authorizers starting new schools. This study does, however, help support charter school proponents who call for greater accountability. 21. Abdulkadiroglu, A, Angrist, J, Cohodes, S, Dynarski, S, Fullerton, J, Kane, T, & Pathak, P. (2009). Informing the debate: Comparing boston’s charter, pilot and traditional schools. The Boston Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.tbf.org/Home.aspx Summarize This study analyzed Boston’s charter, pilot and traditional public schools. It studied the potential success of charter schools over the traditional schools. Addulkadiroglu et al. (2009) define charter schools as “public schools that operate under a charter granted by the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education” (p. 10). Pilot schools are schools that have general freedom in decisions on staff, budget, and curriculum, but they are subject to the local school board and teacher union, and are part of the collective bargaining process (unlike charter schools). This study used two methods: observational (student’s performance and demographics prior to the grades studied in the report, for all schools individually) and a quasi experimental design using the lotteries from oversubscribed lottery schools. The latter design was used to determine the effects of charter schools by studying students who were offered a spot to those who were not offered admission. Some charter schools do not have lotteries each year, depending on demand. This study may exclude some of the lower performing or less desirable schools that may not have a long waiting list. In general, lottery winners perform better than lottery losers in each of the academic areas studied, given that the baseline scores were similar, at the high school level. High in demand middle schools tend to outperform the lower in demand middle schools. All schools in the sample (lottery schools) have a larger impact on student achievement than the non lottery schools (not in the sample). Though test scores offer some indication of achievement, the study looked at other factors, including probabilities of: doing more than three hours of homework, repeating a grade, switching schools, disappearing from sample and graduating on time. The differences were not statistically significant. Charter school students were no more likely to switch schools than non-charter school students. This is unexpected, given that opponents argue that charter schools tend to retain the high achievers, depriving the local schools of these students (local schools must then be receiving the lower achievers). Pilot school is ambiguous and less positive, including possible negative effects. Since charter schools must hold lotteries, the researchers believe that the lottery-based student assignment is an effective way of evaluating school impact, similar to Clark, Gleason, Clark Tuttle, & Silverberg (2011). Assess This is a solid, useful report, with important conclusions. Since it used a very solid research design, lottery selection, and a large sample of Boston schools, it is reliable. It does however, only analyze one city, similar to Ross, McDonald, McSparrin-Gallagher, & Slawson (2006). Reflect Since it only looks at one city, in the East, the study is not too helpful to my geographic region in Ohio, but it does provide some important information helps support my arguments, that charter schools do see achievement gains. Unfortunately, this study suggests that the schools in


the study are performing well, but this study includes the naturally low performing schools that do not have lottery selection. The study does contradict one of my arguments (that lower income students disproportionately leave traditional schools); the study suggests that both withdraw at the same likelihood. Finally, the results tend to suggest that the broader autonomy afforded charter schools relate to greater impact over the local schools with collective bargaining units. 22. Hoxby, C.M., Murarka, S., & Kang, J. (2009). How new york city’s charter schools affect achievement. New York City’s Charter School Evaluation Project. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org Summarize This report of research, a longitudinal analysis of 94% of New York City’s charter schools details information about their achievement compared to traditional public school students. This report used what is considered the “gold-standard” selection process in this field of research of charter schools: random lottery selection to obtain the participants of the study. That is, students who are successful in charter school lotteries (lotteries occur because of oversubscribed schools) and accept an invitation to join that particular grade in a school are compared to the lottery participants that are not chosen (acting as the control group for part of the analysis). Students attending a charter school from K-8 grades closed 86% (math) and 66% (English) of the achievement gap between Scarsdale (affluent district) and Harlem (not so affluent) gap. Control group students would not close the achievement gap by much. Students in high school on the Regents exam (graduation test) have about a 3 point higher score than traditional public schools. In addition, these same charter high school students are 7% more likely (per year in charter school) to earn a Regent’s diploma by age 20 than traditional public school students. The researchers also analyzed certain factors or associations, some of which, statistically speaking, may affect achievement. For example, a longer school year has a strong association. Years in operation do tend to have a significant difference in achievement. Number of days in year, number of hours in day, direct instruction model, and increased minutes (10 minutes) of English were all statistically significant and positive for achievement in charter schools. Most schools that choose a longer school day also choose a longer school year. Thus, it is difficult to separate the two to determine which one is having the major effect. These policies are not causal; in other words, just because a charter school may adopt a policy does not cause an automatic rise in achievement. Assess The goal of this research was to complete a large study of New York City charter schools and complete a profile of their achievement, or lack thereof. This report is very useful and important for the study of charter schools. It encompasses a large population in a diverse and growing city. Since the state and city is constant, this large study has strong reliability and consistency. Like other studies, and similar to many other urban charter school settings nationally, (see Allen & Consoletti (2010)) this study had a disproportionate distribution of black non Hispanic and Hispanic students. Reflect By analyzing the associations of certain policies on academic achievement, this report is useful to policymakers, school authorizers, parents and school staff when making policy and rule changes. It offers some suggestions that might be effective for improving achievement. This


report may generalize to other similar urban areas with similar state laws, and this it is useful and helpful to me as I continue my work in a charter school. Finally, the study suggests several conclusions (longer school year, longer day, etc.) similar to my argument and viewpoint. And, it provides very encouraging data for charter school performance. 23. Stanford University, Center for Research on Education Outcomes. (2009). Multiple choice: Charter school performance in 16 states. Retrieved from Stanford University website: http://credo.stanford.edu/index.html Summarize This research study, arguably one of the most expansive national studies of charter school, collected data from 15 states and the District of Columbia. The study used a “virtual twin” from a traditional public school (TPS) (comparable by seven factors, including gender, grade and lunch program status) for comparison. Three analyses were completed, national, state by state and local comparison. In general, 17% of schools exhibited math gains that were significantly better than TPS, but 37% had significant negative gains. These gains were specifically present in Ohio, Texas and Arizona. Charter policies by state were examined and determined to have an effect on student impact. Three policies were analyzed: cap on schools, multiple authorizers (both decrease achievement) and appeals process for application decisions (increases achievement). Charter schools will better serve English Language Learners and those in poverty. This presents many questions for policy decisions, namely, how best to increase successful schools, those that target minorities and holding accountable authorizers to close non-achieving schools. Also, as was seen in other studies in this bibliography, i.e. Zimmer et al. (2009), the first year of student enrollment and charter school life saw negative impacts, but slightly improved over time. Assess This study is useful for policy decisions and informational purposes. It provides more proof, through a more robust research design, of the impact of charter schools on student growth. This study provides a general picture, but further studies would be needed to show other impacts by subgroups or with different curricula (this study only focused on math and reading). This study went further in its analysis than the RAND report discussed in this bibliography, Zimmer et al. (2009) by completing a larger sample of students nationally. Reflect This report will serve as proof too that elementary and middle school charters perform much better than high school charters. Although this study, through a larger, more expansive sample shows a more sobering landscape for charter school achievement, still about half of the sample performs similarly to TPS. This helps shape my argument as a proponent of charter schools: charter schools are not performing negatively on a widespread basis; in fact they are performing similarly. 24. Johnson, B. E. (2011). Comparing achievement between traditional public schools and charter schools within the big eight urban districts in ohio. (Doctoral dissertation, Miami University). Retrieved from http://etd.ohiolink.edu/view.cgi?acc_num=miami1311693290


Summarize This cross sectional and longitudinal research study analyzed state assessment data of 3rd and 5th grade students in each of Ohio’s eight urban areas to determine if there was any significant difference in math or reading achievement for students attending a charter school versus a traditional public school (TPS) nearby controlling for several key demographics. The study included 94 traditional elementary schools and 94 elementary charter schools and matched each participant in the treatment and control group based on geographic proximity and other demographic factors. The study was guided by five research questions comparing traditional and charter schools (not for profit and for profit). It also looked at years that a charter school has been in operation. Very few statistically significant differences were found among the comparisons. However, some include: the 07-08 5th grade math achievement was higher at the TPS than at its charter school match. Also, the higher 5th grade math and reading scores at a traditional school (versus the matched not for profit charter school) were both statistically significant. Also, there were some moderate effects to suggest that the longer a school is in operation, the greater the assessment scores. The overall study determined that charter schools are not performing significantly different than traditional schools; however, occasionally they perform worse than TPS. Assess This study looked at years that a charter school has been in operation, also discussed in other studies in this bibliography, i.e. Ross, McDonald, McSparrin-Gallagher & Slawson (2006). However, these results are not fully congruent and aligned with results from other studies, the author suggests. This study was fairly limited in scope, however. It focused on only urban areas in one state, using two grade levels. Although it provides a good foundation for further research, its results will be difficult to generalize to other populations. Reflect This source is helpful since it focuses on Ohio where I live and work in a charter school. It accounted for the same laws and policies that my school also must follow. Thus, the results are useful, however hard to apply. This study does provide evidence to suggest that, at the least, charter schools are not performing significantly worse. However, one of the main goals of creating charter laws and schools was the new school’s freedom from as much regulation in order to spur creativity and new approaches to improve the system. This does not seem to be the case yet, given this article. This study is disconcerting and contrary to my argument and the views of proponents of charter schools that hoped new innovation would produce exemplary results. 25. Witte, J. F., Wolf, P.J., Carlson, D., & Dean, A. (2012). Milwaukee independent charter schools study: Final report on four year achievement gains. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Education Reform, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR. Retrieved from http://www.uark.edu/ua/der/SCDP.html Summarize This final report of a four-year longitudinal study detailing achievement gains used results from ten of Milwaukee’s independent charter schools. Independent charter schools are not authorized, managed or connected with any traditional public school district in Wisconsin; they are managed with other entities, such as a university. Some are conversion (converted from


a previously private school), and others are non-conversion (started “new” by an independent authorizer). This study seeks to determine if there are any significant achievement gains of students in independent charter schools (ICS) when matched with traditional public school (TPS) students. The full population of the 10 schools in the sample were used, and were matched: by selecting a random sample of TPS students by grade, then since prior achievement was significantly different, this was controlled by setting each ICS student with a complete set of TPS students in same grade within 5 percentile points of their prior achievement on the state standardized test in reading and math; finally, the ICS students were matched with the TPS student with the closest propensity score (likelihood of being enrolled in charter school based on set of characteristics) to them. There were positive but non-significant gains for charter school students in reading and math, most notably in 7th grade (made significant gains in all but the first year). When aggregated together rather than by grade, there are no significant differences in math, but there are significant differences in reading for three and four year advantages. In supplementary analyses, conversion charter schools have a greater advantage over TPS students than do the non-conversion charter schools. Another analysis, those students staying in a charter school, show large and significant achievement gains for them the longer they stay in the same school. This is a major outcome since both school types performed statistically similar when considering the analysis with all students. Assess The goal of this study was to provide a profile of Milwaukee’s charter schools and to discuss any achievement. If anything, this study and Johnson (2011) in this bibliography suggest that continuity in a school relates highly with academic success. It shows many similar results as other studies in the bibliography, but it does contain different analyses and matching procedures. The design, using a propensity score for matching participants, helps to improve reliability and objectivity by improving the randomization and selection process. Reflect This study has important uses, and it is valuable for policymakers and education personnel. My recommendation for the use of this study is for charter schools, and indeed, any school type to encourage students to find the school that fits their need and remain there. The results are encouraging and help to support my argument and general knowledge that staying in one school will be most beneficial for students. I primarily work with students who switch schools often. This new information for me will be valuable to share.

Additional References

Bodilly, S. (2009). The role of charter schools in improving education. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9428/index1.html

Charting a new course - charter schools in america. (2008, September). Retrieved from http://justcauseit.com/articles/charting-new-course-charter-schools-america

�umber of public charter school students in u.s. surpasses two million. (2011, December 07). Retrieved from http://leavechartersalone.com/2011/number-of-public-charter-school-students-in-u-s-surpasses-two-million/


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charter schools and their development, achievement and ...charter schools and their development 3...

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