Could Charter Schools be the answer to the falling international ranking of US students? The Program for International Student Assessment places the United States as number 35 among 64 countries whose students were ranked. In fact, US students scored 13 points below the average for other developed countries. Against the backdrop of dissatisfaction with American education, a system of alternative schools began in 1991.
What is a Charter School?
The Oxford Dictionary defines it this way: it is an “independent school established by teachers, parents or community groups under the terms of a charter with a local or national authority.” Wikipedia explains that the schools “receive government funding, but operate independently of the public school system where they are located.”
Where are they Found?
There are more than 6,700 such schools in the US, with 2.9 million students in attendance. The concept began in Minnesota in 1991. The three states with the highest number of charter students are California, Arizona and Michigan. In New Orleans, an estimated 78 percent of students attend one of these unique schools. Only five schools in that city are traditional public schools. The change comes as a result of the reorganization after Hurricane Katrina, which decentralized administration of the school system and allowed parents to enroll students in any city school that met their needs.
How do they Operate?
The schools are funded by the government under certain restrictions. Some of these were set by the No Child Left Behind program. Students in under-performing public schools may transfer to charter or private schools and, if the public school does not improve within a year, it becomes a charter school. That means different things in different states. In California, local school districts may charter a school, or it may be authorized by a county board of superintendents. In Michigan, only local school boards or the governing boards of state universities and colleges can grant charters. In Arizona, several entities can authorize the establishment of the schools. In any case, they must adhere to standards set for the district if they are to maintain their charters. There are even online schools where students either study at home or attend a classroom where the instruction is presented online.
What is the Benefit of the Schools?
Students from these schools have a higher percentage of students that attend college, according to the website “publiccharters.org.” Charters are among schools with the highest performance in the nation. Teachers are allowed to use discretion in curriculum and in changing materials to fit the needs of individual students. The schools can break up the day to allow pupils to work longer on weal subjects.
In addition, the schools may operate under a focus or theme. Several of them concentrate on the STEM subjects, but there are also schools established with a focus on other things, like the performing arts.
The online schools seem to present one problem: students have a difficult time staying on-task if left to their own devices. In fact, math scores for some online charter students proved they had lost an entire academic year. So, the charters work when there is adult supervision and input.
School systems in America are undergoing a transition. With Common Core and the Whole Child Approach altering traditional methods of teaching, educators are searching for something “better.” Many people believe that the better thing can be found in charter schools.
Related Reading: 5 Of The Most Innovative High Schools In America
