Guest Post by Ember Reichgott Junge
The National Charter Schools Conference opened this morning with a standing-room-only crowd for the first general session—due to a record-breaking 4,600+ attendees to the conference! True, the conference site in Las Vegas may be attractive to some, but remember, it is 111 degrees outside! In my view, people are here because they are committed to personal growth and growth of a strong charter sector. And we all love lots and lots of networking.
Nina Rees, right, President and CEO of the conference host National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, shared results of a new study I found fascinating. She told us that Mathematica studied charter school students in Chicago and Florida and asked questions that are rarely asked, like “What happens to students after they graduate from high school? And even after they leave college?”
The amazing results? Said Rees, “Not only are public charter school graduates more likely to go to college, and more likely to stay in college and graduate, they also earn more in their first few years out of college—about 12 percent more.“
Wow. I suspect that is because charter schools are often project-based or focus on personalized or blended learning for their students. Those learning methods mean that students are taught problem-solving skills and how to “navigate” for themselves in the real world. In other words, says Rees, “great charter schools help children prepare for life.”
Even “Breaking Bad” actor Steven Quezeda, whose children attend charter schools in New Mexico, said as much as he kicked off the first day of the conference. “I wasn’t one of the people who could learn by reading the chapter, answering the questions at the end and then taking a test. I needed a project-based approach. I found that in theatre.” Read more about Quezada and the conference in this column by Minnesota chartering pioneer Joe Nathan.
Former Minnesota State Senator Ember Reichgott Junge is author of the first charter school law in Minnesota and of the award-winning book Zero Chance of Passage: The Pioneering Charter School Story.
Question: did the charter schools in this study accept special education students, even those with significant disabilities? Did they have open enrollment? Did they “counsel out” students with behavior disorders? Just want to be sure we’re comparing apples to apples here. Other research shows that in places with increased numbers of charter schools such as Detroit, non-charter schools are being left with comparatively higher numbers of special education students because many charters provide services only for mild disabilities if any at all. So, is this a legitimate comparison in this study?
I’d like to know the name of the study and where I can find it.
Eleanor, please see these links: http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2009/msu-led-study-charter-school-students-more-likely-to-graduate-attend-college/ and http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG869.html
Eleanor, the blog post quoted the speech by Nina Rees, CEO of the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools. She indicated that the study was conducted by Mathematica Policy Research (www.mathematica-mpr.com). They looked at charter schools in Chicago and Florida, according to Ms. Rees’ comments. For more information you can contact the office of the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools who can likely provide you with more specific information.