The academic results of charter schools don’t differ much from those of traditional public schools, says a report issued Tuesday by the Florida Department of Education.
Elementary school students in charter schools scored slightly better on FACT reading tests- 71.5% to 70.5% at level 3 or above.
High school students scored lower – 35.0% to 37.6%.
Middle school students scored higher – 62.8% to 58.4%
Students in traditional public schools scored higher on math at all grade levels.
”The charter school movement continues to hold great promise for many students,” says the report, which marks the 10-year anniversary of Florida’s charter school movement. “However, a decade of progress makes it clear that charter schools are not a panacea; they are not for everyone.”
More than 330 charter schools have opened across the state since 1996. Florida ranks third in the nation for number of charter schools operating and second in the nation for number of students enrolled in charter schools — more than 92,000, and more than half are minorities.
To view the complete charter school tenth anniversary report, visit www.floridaschoolchoice.org/information/charter_schools/files/Charter_10Year_Book.pdf
