National Assessment Shows DC's Public Charters are Narrowing the Achievement Gap

Written by Naomi Rubin DeVeaux

The public charter school movement was born in part out of a need to provide quality education options to families living in neighborhoods with low-performing schools.  These tuition-free public schools offer students the chance to compete with their more advantaged peers across the nation. The recently released National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows that students attending public charter schools in Washington, DC are narrowing the gap with their peers across the nation.

In Washington, DC, three out of every four (76%) public charter school students are  African Americans.  For the first time in 2015, the average NAEP score for African Americans attending a DC public charter school who took the assessment met or exceeded the national average in both mathematics and reading .

Beginning in 2003, NAEP scores for 4th graders attending public charter schools were separated from those attending traditional schools in Washington, DC.  That year the national average scale score for African American 4th grade students in math was 216 while the score for DC public charter school students was 13 points lower, at 203  (see Chart A below). Between 2003 and 2015 the national score for African American students grew 8 points, from 216 to 224 while those in public charter schools grew 24 points, from 203 to 227.  Today, in 2015, the DC public charter school average is 3 points higher than the national average and 7 points higher than their African American peers attending DCPS schools.  

Chart A.

Meanwhile, in 4th Grade Reading (see Chart B), African Americans attending DC public charter schools overcame a 15-point achievement gap between them and their peers in other states in reading by growing 23 points between 2003 and 2015. While the national average also increased by 8 points during this time period, the DC public charter school increased at a faster rate. In 2015, they are now tied with the national average for African Americans at an average scale score of 206.

Chart B.

This same rapid improvement has taken place among 8th grade math students (see Chart C.). In math, African Americans DC public charter school students improved by 17 points, from a baseline score of 249 in 2005, the first year that there was a significant population of African American 8th graders in public charter schools. They began 6 points below the national average and now, in 2015, are out-performing the national average for African Americans by 6 points and their peers in DCPS schools by 18 points.   

Chart C.

And African American 8th graders are performing at the national average in reading, having improved 6 points over 10 years, tracking their peer’s average scores.

Chart D.

While African American DC public charter school students have improved, African American students still score 21 points below the national average of White students in 4th grade math, 26 points below in 8th grade math, and 26 points below in 4th and 8th grade reading.  (DC public charter schools do not serve a statistically significant population of white students to be measured by NAEP.)  

However, we expect that this gap will continue to decline as not just African American students attending public charter schools are experiencing gains that are outpacing national gains. Academic scores are improving among all groups of DC public charter school students. Since 2003, the achievement gap in 4th grade math has gotten smaller, from 32-points to 10 points, with a final scaled score of 230.

Chart E.

In 4th grade reading, all students attending public charter schools closed a whopping 34-point achievement gap down to 14 points.

Chart F.

Likewise, in 8th grade math, the gap for all students attending public charter schools and the national average has seen a 16-point reduction, from a 29-point gap in 2005 to a 13-point gap in 2015.

Chart G.

The trend exists in reading as well, where the achievement gap for all 8th grade students went from a 20-point gap in 2005 to a 14-point gap in 2015.

Chart H.

These results can only be attributed to consistent and mindful reform efforts aimed at improving learning for all students--not just those who are already advantaged. The teachers and leaders of DC public charter schools deserve all of the credit for raising the level of learning of all students, but especially African American boys and girls. And we look forward to celebrating the continued progress these students together with their teachers and families will make tomorrow!

Naomi Rubin DeVeaux is the Deputy Director of the DC Public Charter School Board.