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What is the history of charter schools and how do they influence education reform efforts?
The charter idea in America goes back to the late 1980s and at the start, charters were seen as escape hatches for children who were stuck in schools that were failing or that were simply not meeting the needs of particular students. Proponents also promised that they would serve as centers of innovation, research, and development that would in time benefit children across public education. They would generate competition that would spur districts toward sustained academic reform. They would cost less than district schools. This quintuple promise salubrious competition, stronger academic outcomes, inventive approaches, parsimony, and immediate relief for the educationally oppressed may not have worked out exactly as promised 25 years ago. But the results have been good enough that there are now more than 6,000 public charter schools serving more than 2.3 million students in 41 states and the District of Columbia. And parental demand far outpaces supply, with more than 600,000 children on waiting lists nationwide. The first charter schools opened in Idaho in 1998.
How many charter schools are in Idaho and how many children do they serve?
There are currently 41 brick and mortar charter schools, seven statewide virtual schools and one distant education academy in Idaho that collective serve about 18,000 students.
Idaho, school districts and the states public charter school commission are the only organizations currently authorizing public charter schools. Changes to state law signed by Gov. Otter in April of this year allow Idaho colleges and universities to also start authorizing charter schools.
How do charter school students perform academically compared to students in traditional Idaho public schools?
Charter school students in Idaho perform well in comparison to other Idaho public school students, and Idahos charter schools as a group are well rated academically. On the 2012-13 report cards, 69 percent of charter schools received a four- or five-star rating. In comparison, 59 percent of traditional Idaho public schools received a four- or five-star rating. But not all charters are high-flyers academically. Four of the states charters received just a one-star rating last year. Idaho charter school students as a group perform better on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and math assessments than their traditional district school peers. In 2011, fourth and eighth grade charter students outpaced their district peers in both reading and math.
language immersion;
Serving a targeted population such as at-risk students or gifted students; or Offer extended day programs or creative use of on-line learning opportunities that blend
classroom and home learning. Conversely, charter schools that are poorly run or struggle financially most often also fail to deliver high quality instruction. It is obviously disadvantageous for students to attend schools that cant provide the services and supports necessary for a successful education. Parents should be picky choosers when deciding what school to send their children to and this is as true for charter schools as it should be for traditional district schools.
Idaho Charter School Network Terry Ryan, President tryan@idahocsn.org Ph: 208-424-2611 501 E. Baybrook Ct. Boise, ID 83706