Study: Veteran Charter Schools Outperform Non-Charter Public Schools on Student Achievement; Study Shows API Scores Greater at Charter Schools in Operation for More than Five Years.

News Editors/Education Writers

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 7, 2003

California charter schools that have been in operation for at least five years are outperforming non-charter public schools when it comes to student achievement scores (as measured by the API), according to a new analysis.

This analysis of the API, conducted in March by the Charter Schools Development Center (CSDC), is based on the 2002 API base scores, which were publicly released in February 2003. The data shows that overall, charter schools operating for five or more years outperformed all public schools, as well as their younger charter peers.

The 80 "veteran" charter schools that have been open for at least five years and have received API base scores this school year, had an average score of 708. This is above the average score of 689 for all public schools and the average score of 667 for all active charter schools.

The API (Academic Performance Index) is a public school ranking system based primarily on state test scores. All public schools are expected to score 800 out of 1000 points or to be making five percent growth toward that target each year.

"These results demonstrate that charter schools are indeed making a difference," said Dr. David Patterson, Interim Executive Director for the California Network of Educational Charters (CANEC). "This shows that when educators are given the freedom from excessive regulations to create programs that work for their students, and the time to implement them, positive results happen."

"While these API results are encouraging, they must be kept in perspective," said Laurie Gardner, Co-Director of the Charter Schools Development Center. "Multiple indicators should be considered to determine academic success, especially in those schools serving challenging student populations, or using alternative instructional approaches, for which the API is often a less-than-accurate measure."

The authors of the CSDC study pointed out that a small number of charter schools have been in operation for at least five years but have a much smaller student population than the 100 students needed to qualify for an API score. These schools, as well as others that qualify for the Alternative School Accountability Model (ASAM), serve extremely at-risk student populations, typically in small learning environments. Examples include the widely acclaimed Life Learning Academy in San Francisco, and the Phoenix Academy in Marin County, among others.

This CSDC analysis follows the findings of a recent study by Cal State University, Los Angeles (2002), which found that student achievement (as measured by the API) in charter schools serving predominately low-income students is improving at a faster rate than in their non-charter school counterparts.

The authors of the CSDC study have also noted recent data showing that California's charter schools continue to attract students that are dissatisfied with the traditional system. For example, thirteen percent of the statewide charter school population is made up of African-American students, compared to eight percent for all public schools. According to recent surveys of the public's attitudes towards public schools, including a survey of Californians commissioned for CANEC in 2002, African-American families clearly feel the most poorly served by the traditional public school system.

The results of this analysis were published in the spring 2003 edition of "Charter Currents", a quarterly news publication of the Charter Schools Development Center, released in March. To download a summary, visit:

http://www.cacharterschools.org/pdf_files/veteran_API.pdf

About CANEC

The California Network of Educational Charters (CANEC) is California's premier charter school networking and service organization and is the public voice of its members for the charter school movement in California. CANEC represents its members through networking, advocacy and public awareness.

About the Charter Schools Development Center (CSDC)

The Charter Schools Development Center (CSCD) is California's charter school technical assistance and resource center. It provides comprehensive charter school services to charter school developers, operators, and granting agencies.

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