Charter Schools Outperforming District Schools in Cities, Statewide
October 02, 2012
West Chester, PA — After the 2011-2012 results for the Pennsylvania System of School Assessments (PSSA) scores were released, the contrast between traditional district schools and charter schools is striking. A higher percentage of charter schools achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) statewide. In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the percentages of charter schools that made AYP were much greater than the traditional district schools in those cities.
- Statewide, 49.85 percent of traditional school districts made AYP, compared to 58.97 percent of Pennsylvania’s charter schools.
- In Pittsburgh, seven of the 57 district schools—or 12 percent—made AYP for the 2011-2012 school year, according to results from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). Among Pittsburgh’s charter schools, 57 percent achieved AYP status.
- Forty nine of Philadelphia’s 80 charter schools, or 61 percent, achieved AYP status, compared to only 13 percent of the traditional schools in the School District of Philadelphia.
This achievement becomes more impressive considering that public charter schools are disproportionately serving the poorest and most at-risk students in the state. According to the latest numbers from PDE, 62 percent of charter school students come from low-income families, compared to 39 percent of students in traditional school districts.
“Charter schools across the state are providing high-quality educational options to students, and these numbers reinforce that fact,” said Lawrence F. Jones Jr., President of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools. “It is particularly striking to see the contrast in the state’s biggest cities, where many of our charter school students come from low-income families. These schools are providing hope and opportunity for students throughout the state.”
Results from the 2011-2012 PSSA tests can be found at www.paayp.emetric.net.
About the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS)
PCPCS is dedicated to choice, quality, and accountability in public education. We advocate for legislation and policies that support those objectives and provide assistance to charter schools, with the aspiration of making every charter school in Pennsylvania a high performing public school. More than 105,000 children are enrolled in 180 charter schools throughout the Commonwealth and more than 44,000 are on waiting lists. For more information on PCPCS or charter schools, visit www.pacharters.org.