Teaching to the Student: Charter School Effectiveness in Spite of Perverse Incentives

Recent work has shown that Boston charter schools raise standardized test scores more than their traditional school counterparts. Critics of charter schools argue that charter schools create those achievement gains by focusing exclusively on test preparation, at the expense of deeper learning. In this paper, I test that critique by estimating the impact of charter school attendance on subscales of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System and examining them for evidence of score inflation. If charter schools are teaching to the test to a greater extent than their counterparts, one would expect to see higher scores on commonly tested standards, higher-stakes subjects, and frequently tested topics. Despite incentives to reallocate effort away from less frequently tested content to highly tested content, and to coach to item type, I find no evidence of this type of test preparation. Boston charter middle schools perform consistently across all standardized test subscales.

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Charter Schools’ Effectiveness, Mechanisms, and Competitive Influence

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Economics and Finance ◽

10.1093/acrefore/9780190625979.013.648 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah R. Cohodes ◽

Katharine S. Parham

Keyword(s):

Student Achievement ◽

Academic Success ◽

Charter Schools ◽

Charter School ◽

Test Scores ◽

Test Score ◽

School Effectiveness ◽

The United States ◽

School Teachers ◽

The Impact

Across the United States, charter schools—publicly funded and regulated, but privately run schools—appear to perform, on average, at about the same level as their district counterparts. The broadest studies of charter school effectiveness use observational methods, which may not fully account for selection of students into charter schools. However, this finding is confirmed by lottery-based evidence from a few broad samples that again presents a varied picture of charter impact and little average difference across sectors. Underlying the similarity in performance across sectors is one of the most consistent findings from both observational and lottery-based evidence of charter schools’ impact on student achievement: Charters located in urban areas boost student test scores, particularly for Black, Latinx, and students from lower-income households. The test score gains appear to be largest in urban charters that employ “No Excuses” practices. Attending some urban charter schools also increases college enrollment and voting and reduces risky behavior. However, evidence on such long-term outcomes is limited to a few samples, and evidence on college graduation and adult earnings is even rarer, making it difficult to draw conclusions beyond test scores about the overall effectiveness of the charter sector. Research on the mechanisms underlying charter successes, when they occur, is growing. No Excuses charter schools—which employ high expectations, strict disciplinary codes, and intense academic focus—generate consistent test score gains, but their controversial disciplinary practices are not necessarily a condition for academic success. Charter school teachers tend to be less qualified and more likely to leave the profession than traditional public school teachers, though the impact of these challenges for the labor market is understudied. Similarly, the influence of charter authorizers and related accountability structures is limited and would benefit from examination using more rigorous methodologies. The competitive impact of charter schools on traditional public schools typically suggests a small, beneficial influence on neighboring schools’ student achievement, though there is variation across contexts. Additionally, while some local analyses suggest charters reduce funding in nearby districts, at least in the short term, a larger scale study finds charter entry generates more revenue per pupil for district schools. There is competing evidence on charters’ contribution to school racial segregation, and little evidence on the impact of newer, intentionally diverse school models. In all, more research, in more contexts, is needed to further understand where, for whom, and why charters are most effective.

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High Expense: Disability Severity and Charter School Attendance in Arizona

Education Policy Analysis Archives ◽

10.14507/epaa.v19n6.2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 19 ◽

pp. 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anthony M. Garcy

Keyword(s):

Special Education ◽

Charter Schools ◽

Charter School ◽

Linear Models ◽

School Attendance ◽

Special Education Students ◽

Education Students ◽

School Year ◽

Education Agency ◽

Student Disabilities

Much of the literature related to the skimming or cropping of students by charter schools has ignored special education students. This article examines the relationship between the severity of student disabilities and their likelihood of having attended an Arizona charter school in the 2002-2003 school year. After adjusting for student traits, local education agency characteristics, and the mix of available special education services, a multilevel logistic regression analysis suggests that students who had more severe and thus more expensive disabilities were less likely to attend an Arizona charter school. Findings from an ancillary set of hierarchical linear models suggested that special education students enrolled in charter schools were less expensive on average than similar traditional public-school special education students.

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The impact of charter school attendance on student performance

Journal of Public Economics ◽

10.1016/j.jpubeco.2006.09.011 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 91 (5-6) ◽

pp. 849-876 ◽

Cited By ~ 66

Author(s):

Kevin Booker ◽

Scott M. Gilpatric ◽

Timothy Gronberg ◽

Dennis Jansen

Keyword(s):

Student Performance ◽

Charter School ◽

School Attendance ◽

The Impact

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Maternal cannabis use is associated with suppression of immune gene networks in placenta and increased anxiety phenotypes in offspring

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.2106115118 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 118 (47) ◽

pp. e2106115118

Author(s):

Gregory Rompala ◽

Yoko Nomura ◽

Yasmin L. Hurd

Keyword(s):

Gene Networks ◽

Child Anxiety ◽

Assessment System ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Immune Response Gene ◽

High Frequency Component ◽

Cytokine Signaling ◽

Type I ◽

Immune Gene ◽

The Impact

While cannabis is among the most used recreational drugs during pregnancy, the impact of maternal cannabis use (mCB) on fetal and child development remains unclear. Here, we assessed the effects of mCB on psychosocial and physiological measures in young children along with the potential relevance of the in utero environment reflected in the placental transcriptome. Children (∼3 to 6 y) were assessed for hair hormone levels, neurobehavioral traits on the Behavioral Assessment System for Children (BASC-2) survey, and heart rate variability (HRV) at rest and during auditory startle. For a subset of children with behavioral assessments, placental specimens collected at birth were processed for RNA sequencing. Hair hormone analysis revealed increased cortisol levels in mCB children. In addition, mCB was associated with greater anxiety, aggression, and hyperactivity. Children with mCB also showed a reduction in the high-frequency component of HRV at baseline, reflecting reduced vagal tone. In the placenta, there was reduced expression of many genes involved in immune system function including type I interferon, neutrophil, and cytokine-signaling pathways. Finally, several of these mCB-linked immune genes organized into coexpression networks that correlated with child anxiety and hyperactivity. Overall, our findings reveal a relationship between mCB and immune response gene networks in the placenta as a potential mediator of risk for anxiety-related problems in early childhood.

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Explaining Charter School Effectiveness

American Economic Journal Applied Economics ◽

10.1257/app.5.4.1 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 1-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 95

Author(s):

Joshua D Angrist ◽

Parag A Pathak ◽

Christopher R Walters

Keyword(s):

Urban Education ◽

Public Schools ◽

Charter Schools ◽

Charter School ◽

School Effectiveness ◽

School Level ◽

Relative Efficacy ◽

Urban Public Schools ◽

Urban Charter Schools

Lottery estimates suggest Massachusetts' urban charter schools boost achievement well beyond that of traditional urban public schools students, while nonurban charters reduce achievement from a higher baseline. The fact that urban charters are most effective for poor nonwhites and low-baseline achievers contributes to, but does not fully explain, these differences. We therefore link school-level charter impacts to school inputs and practices. The relative efficacy of urban lottery sample charters is accounted for by these schools' embrace of the No Excuses approach to urban education. In our Massachusetts sample, Non-No-Excuses urban charters are no more effective than nonurban charters. (JEL H75, I21, I28)

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Charter School Authorizers and Student Achievement

Education Finance and Policy ◽

10.1162/edfp_a_00120 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 59-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Ron Zimmer ◽

Brian Gill ◽

Jonathon Attridge ◽

Kaitlin Obenauf

Keyword(s):

Charter Schools ◽

Nonprofit Organizations ◽

Charter School ◽

School Effectiveness ◽

State Agency ◽

Individual Student ◽

High Performing Schools ◽

High Performing ◽

Level Data ◽

Wide Range

In the academic and policy debates over the merits of charter schools, two things are clear: First, they are here to stay and, second, their quality varies widely. Policy makers therefore need to understand how to design charter laws that promote the creation of high-performing schools. Crucial to this discussion is the charter authorizing process, which varies across the nation. In some states, authorizing power is held exclusively by local school districts, whereas other states allow a range of authorizers that may include not only local districts, but also nonprofit organizations, counties, higher educational institutions, or a state agency. In this paper we use individual student-level data from Ohio, which permits a wide range of organizations to authorize charter schools, to examine the relationship between type of authorizer and charter-school effectiveness as measured by students’ achievement trajectories.

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The Growing Segmentation of the Charter School Sector in North Carolina

Education Finance and Policy ◽

10.1162/edfp_a_00226 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 536-563 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Helen F. Ladd ◽

Charles T. Clotfelter ◽

John B. Holbein

Keyword(s):

North Carolina ◽

Public Schools ◽

Charter Schools ◽

Charter School ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

School Effectiveness ◽

Market Model ◽

Traditional Public Schools ◽

School Sector ◽

Performance Gains

A defining characteristic of charter schools is that they introduce a strong market element into public education. In this paper, we examine through the lens of a market model the evolution of the charter school sector in North Carolina between 1999 and 2012. We examine trends in the mix of students enrolled in charter schools, the racial imbalance of charter schools, patterns in student match quality by schools’ racial composition, and the distributions of test score performance gains compared to those in traditional public schools. In addition, we use student fixed effects models to examine plausibly causal measures of charter school effectiveness. Our findings indicate that charter schools in North Carolina are increasingly serving the interests of relatively able white students in racially imbalanced schools and that despite improvements in the charter school sector over time, charter schools are still no more effective on average than traditional public schools.

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Local Demand for a School Choice Policy: Evidence from the Washington Charter School Referenda

Education Finance and Policy ◽

10.1162/edfp_a_00038 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 323-353 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Sean P. Corcoran ◽

Christiana Stoddard

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

School Choice ◽

Charter Schools ◽

School Quality ◽

Standardized Test ◽

Strong Predictor ◽

Poor Performance ◽

School Resources ◽

School Demographics ◽

The Impact

The expansion of charter schools—publicly funded, yet in direct competition with traditional public schools—has emerged as a favored response to poor performance in the education sector. While a large and growing literature has sought to estimate the impact of these schools on student achievement, comparatively little is known about demand for the policy itself. Using election returns from three consecutive referenda on charter schools in Washington State, we weigh the relative importance of school quality, community and school demographics, and partisanship in explaining voter support for greater school choice. We find that low school quality—as measured by standardized tests—is a consistent and modestly strong predictor of support for charters. However, variation in performance between school districts is more predictive of charter support than variation within them. At the local precinct level, school resources, union membership, student heterogeneity, and the Republican vote share are often stronger predictors of charter support than standardized test results.

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Nonclassroom-based charter schools in California and the impact of SB 740

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e527412012-001 ◽

2005 ◽

Author(s):

Cassandra Guarino ◽

Ron Zimmer ◽

Cathy Krop ◽

Derrick Chau

Keyword(s):

Charter Schools ◽

The Impact

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Model Pembelajaran Teams Games Tournaments (TGT) untuk Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Siswa

PHILANTHROPY Journal of Psychology ◽

10.26623/philanthropy.v3i2.1622 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 110

Author(s):

Suwarno Suwarno

Keyword(s):

Social Capital ◽

Academic Success ◽

Service Learning ◽

Learning Outcomes ◽

School Effectiveness ◽

Social Trust ◽

Building Blocks ◽

Learning Model ◽

Committee Report ◽

The Impact

Abstract. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the Teams Games Tournament (TGT) learning model to improve student learning outcomes. This research is important because the lecture learning model makes learning meaningless so it impacts on low learning outcomes. This research uses quasi experiment using control class and experimental class. Respondents in this study were students of class X SMK 8 Semarang Academic Year 2017/2018. Sample selection using random sampling, class X1 is used as a control class and X2 is an experimental class. The experimental class was given an intervention by learning Teams Games Tournaments (TGT), while the control class used lecture learning. The effectiveness of the model was measured by the student test analysis method. then analyzed by completeness test and average difference test. The findings of this study are the learning outcomes of experimental class students achieving better learning outcomes than classes using the lecture method.Keywords: Learning Model, Teams Games Tournaments (TGT). Students Daftar Pustaka Bofota, Y. B., & Bofota, Y. B. (2017). The impact of social capital on children educational outcomes : the case of Tanzania The impact of social capital on children educational outcomes : The case of Tanzania.Cahuc, P., Shleifer, A., & Algan, Y. (2014). Teaching Practices and Social Capital. (6052).Catts, R., & Ozga, J. (2015). What is Social Capital and how might it be used in Scotland ’ s Schools ? (36).Flint, N. (2017). Full report Schools , communities and social capital : building blocks in the ’ Big Society ’ Contents.Goddard, R. D. (2016). Relational Networks , Social Trust , and Norms : A Social Capital Perspective on Students ’ Chances of Academic Success. 25(1), 59–74.Eddy Prasongko, 2017. Team Game Tournament. Bandung. Jawa BaratEndang Poerwanti, dkk. 2008. Asesmen Pembelajaran SD. Jakarta: Direktorat Jendral Pendidikan Tinggi Departemen Pendidikan NasionalHargreaves, A. (2015). School Social Capital and School Effectiveness. 37, 119–136.Kurnia, Inggridwati. dkk. 2018. Perkembangan belajar peserta didik. Jakarta: Direktorat Jendral Pendidikan Tinggi Departemen Pendidikan NasionalPurwanto. M Ngalim. 2015. Psikologi Pendidikan. Bandung: PT Remaja RosdakaryaSiddiq, M. Djauhar. 2018. Pengembangan Bahan Pembelajaran SD. Jakarta: Direktorat Jendral Pendidikan Tinggi Departemen Pendidikan Nasional.Sugiyono, 2005. Metode Penelitian Kuantitatif, Kualitatif dan Rn D, Bandung AftabetaLash, D., & Belfiore, G. (2017). 5 Essentials in Building Social Capital Report 4 of the MyWays Student Success Series. (October).Mikiewicz, P., Jonasson, J. T., Gudmundsson, G., Blondal, K. S., & Korczewska, D. M. (2011). Comparative research between Poland and Iceland.Schlesselman, L., Borrego, M., Bloom, T. J., Mehta, B., Drobitch, R. K., & Smith, T. (2015). An Assessment Of Service-Learning In 34 US Schools Of Pharmacy Follow Up On The 2001 Professional Affairs Committee Report. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 79(8). https://doi.org/10.5688/ajpe798116

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