Characteristics of High-Performing Charter Schools Serving Underrepresented Minority and Low-Income Students

• In Event: Roundtable Session 50
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding Differences in Charter School Outcomes

Abstract

Since the establishment of the first public charter school in 1991, the number of public charters has grown to more than 6,400 schools serving over 2.5 million students in the U.S. As their numbers continue to grow, charters are becoming responsible for educating a disproportionately larger percentage of our under-represented minority (URM) and low-income students.
Only a small percentage of charter schools have succeeded at increasing student achievement beyond the levels of traditional public schools. However, some successful charters have been highly-effective at increasing the achievement of URM and low-income students. The purpose of this study is to investigate three high-performing urban charter schools and explore the performance characteristics that specifically support the academic achievement of URM and low-income students.

Author

• Timothy L. Weekes, San Francisco State University