Do Charter Schools Make a Difference in Student Achievement and Growth?

• In Event: Do Charter Schools Make a Difference? Methods, Comparisons, and Evaluation

Abstract

The rapid expansion of charter schools reflects a growing interest in education reform school turnaround efforts across the United States. However, national research on charter school performance remains inconclusive. Of particular debate is the impact of transferring from a traditional public school to a charter school on student achievement and growth. We employ propensity score stratification and multi-level models to balance key covariates between treatment and control groups of students. Preliminary findings parallel previous research that suggests charter school effects on student achievement tend to be modest and vary greatly, but the analytical approach, propensity score stratification within multilevel model, provides a more complex picture of charter school effects in a quasi-experimental context.

Authors

• Yun Xiang, Northwest Evaluation Association

• Shudong Wang, NWEA

• Beth Tarasawa, NWEA