DC Public Charter Schools Serve Students from All Socio-Economic Backgrounds

For Immediate Release: Friday, November 20, 2015 | Contact: PCSB Communications | Phone: (202) 328-2660 | Email: [email protected]

 

DC Public Charter Schools Serve Students from All Socio-Economic Backgrounds 
New Report Details Student Make-Up
Districtwide and in Public Charter and Traditional Schools

(Washington, DC) - Contrary to what some claim, public charter schools are serving students from all socio-economic backgrounds and demographic groups in the District of Columbia.  These are the findings of a new, comprehensive School Equity Report released on November 19 by the District government. 

Undermining claims by some that public charter schools pick and choose students and avoid certain demographic groups, the School Equity Report found that:
 

  • Public charter schools serve more African American and economically disadvantaged students than the city average.
  • Public charter schools serve nearly the same number of students with disabilities as the city average and a slightly higher percentage of students with levels 3 and 4.
  • For the third consecutive year, public charter schools have decreased the number of students expelled and suspended each year. 
  • Since 2013, the in-seat attendance has increased and continues to outpace the city average. 
  • The number of students leaving a public charter school midyear is below the city average. This shows that public charter schools work hard to keep students enrolled throughout the school year. Moreover, school by school reports do not show a pattern of public charter schools exiting students after the enrollment audit or before testing. 
  • Graduation rates are higher for public charter school students than the city average and across most socio-economic backgrounds and demographic groups.
DC’s School Equity Reports promote transparency, equity, and choice by providing unprecedented data about school academic and non-academic performance, making it easy for all to view and compare every public school side-by-side. The reports will include PARCC results in January 2016. 

The DC Public Charter School Board (DC PCSB), DC Public Schools (DCPS), the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) worked collaboratively to align data among public and public charter schools so the report could feature comparable metrics for all public schools in the city. 

View the School Equity Reports for public charter schools here. Printable PDFs will be available soon.   
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