Comparing Charters to Neighboring Traditional Public

Schools (TPS) in Chicago

Traditional Reasons for Preferring Charter Schools

Reasons Counter arguments*Innovation Parents often choose

schools with more traditional methods

Competition Frequently, achievement does not affect parents’ school choices

Equity Not evident outside of Chicago. What about here?

--*Lubienski & Weitzel, The Charter School Experiment, 2010

• Over 120 Charter School Campuses plus Contract Schools in Chicago

• 99 managed by 17 educational management organizations

• Recent CREDO report*: --In Reading 80% of charter students showed growth no different or worse than tps -- In math, 63% showed growth no different or worse than tps --Possible benefits for Latinos and low income

-Charter School Performance in Illinois CREDO, 2013

Chicago Charters with at least 50% students meeting or exceeding standards

Concept: Chi M&S

Intrinsic

*

*

*

Charter Neighboring Traditional Public School (TPS)

Polaris Ward, L.

Asian Hum.Ser.Pass/American Quality Peirce, H.

Kenwood Oakdale/U of C Ariel

A.Locke Faraday, M.

Legacy Hughes, C.

Namaste Greene, N.

Providence-Englewood Earle, C.W.

Irving Park/Distinctive Schools (CICS) Cleveland, G

Academy for Global Citizenship Hearst, P.A.

K.Nkrumah Schmid, T.

R.Butler/LEARN Lawndale

% Meet or Exceed State Standards for ISAT (new cut scores)

Polaris/

Ward

Asian/P

eirce

N.Knwd/Arie

l

Lock

e/Farad

ay

Lega

cy/H

ughes

Nam/G

reene

PE/Earl

e

Irv.Pk/C

levelan

d

AGC/Hears

t

Nkru/Sc

hmid66

Butler/L

awn

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

CharterNeighbor

% Mobility – More for TPS

Polaris/

Ward

Asian/P

eirce

N.Knwd/Arie

l

Lock

e/Farad

ay

Lega

cy/H

ughes

Nam/G

reene

PE/Earl

e

Irv.Pk/C

levelan

d

AGC/Hears

t

Nkru/Sc

hmid

Butler/L

awn

0

20

40

60

80

CharterNeighbor

- Illinois Interactive Report Card, 2012-2013

% Low Income – More for TPS

Polaris/

Ward

Asian/P

eirce

N.Knwd/Arie

l

Lock

e/Farad

ay

Lega

cy/H

ughes

Nam/G

reene

PE/Earl

e

Irv.Pk/C

levelan

d

AGC/Hears

t

Nkru/Sc

hmid

Butler/L

awn

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

CharterNeighbor

99

89

79

69

- Illinois Interactive Report Card, 2012-2013

At the intersection of Low Income and Mobility

HOMELESSLOW INCOME MOBILITY

HOMELESS LOW INCOME Compared to Housed Low Income:• Less preventative healthcare - immunizations• Severe hunger• Higher percentages of fair/poor health according to parents• Developmental or psychiatric disorders

• American Journal of Public Health, Sept., 2013

% Student Temporary Living Status

Polaris/

Ward

Asian/P

eirce

N.Knwd/Arie

l

Lock

e/Farad

ay

Lega

cy/H

ughes

Nam/G

reene

PE/Earl

e

Irv.Pk/C

levelan

d

AGC/Hears

t

Nkru/Sc

hmid

Butler/L

awn

0

10

20

30

40

CharterNeighbor

- CPS, STLS end of year stats for 2013

Reading Growth – above the line

Polaris/

Ward

Asian/P

eirce

N.Knwd/Arie

l

Lock

e/Farad

ay

Lega

cy/H

ughes

Nam/G

reene

PE/Earl

e

Irv.Pk/C

levelan

d

AGC/Hears

t

Nkru/Sc

hmid

Butler/L

awn

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

CharterNeighbor

-Illinois Interactive Report Card, 2012-2013

Math Growth – above the line

Polaris/

Ward

Asian/P

eirce

N.Knwd/Arie

l

Lock

e/Farad

ay

Lega

cy/H

ughes

Nam/G

reene

PE/Earl

e

Irv.Pk/C

levelan

d

AGC/Hears

t

Nkru/Sc

hmid

Butler/L

awn

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

CharterNeighbor

- Illinois Interactive Report Card, 2012-2013

Conclusions• Charter Schools in Chicago do not appear to be

promoting equity. In fact, there is fighting over limited resources.

• Apparent differences in performance between relatively successful charter schools and their neighboring traditional publics may be explained by– Percentages of low income students– Homelessness– Peer effects

• At a time when the state is seriously underfunding public education, there does not appear to be a convincing reason to give preferential treatment to charters