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Florida charter schools miss the mark in report

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By ADAM EMERSON

aemerson@tampatrib.com

Published: June 17, 2009

Student performance at Florida's charter schools falls far below that at traditional public schools, according to a Stanford University report.

Most of the nation's charter schools showed performance that was the same or worse than at traditional public schools, but Florida was among six states where the disparity was "significant," the report states.
Black students attending Florida charter schools performed far below their traditional counterparts in reading and math, said researchers with Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes.

Although some states showed promising results, the report states, the findings reveal a "disturbing" collection of poorly performing charter schools nationwide.

"Charter schools have become a rallying cry for education reformers across the country," according to the study. "And yet, this study reveals in unmistakable terms that, in the aggregate, charter students are not faring as well as their counterparts."

Researchers found that in addition to black students, students newly enrolled in charter schools "have an initial loss of learning in both reading and math." Neither poor nor Hispanic students receive any "significant benefit."

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285.

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