High School Graduation: Does Attending Charter School Make a Difference?

• In Event: Equitable Access and Opportunity in Schools of Choice

Abstract

High school graduation is a meaningful indicator of student achievement and a stronger predictor of long-term quality of life outcomes compared to student test scores. The existing body of research has been limited on whether charter attendance improves high school graduation and whether charter attendance helps narrow the graduation gap among students from various backgrounds. The current study attempts to address this gap by using longitudinal student-level data of seven cohorts of high school students in Utah who started high school between 2011-2012 and 2017-2018. We use logistic models to evaluate the effect of charter attendance on the likelihood of high school graduation and estimate the influence of charter attendance on graduation likelihood varies across students with diverse characteristics.

Authors

• Yongmei Ni, University of Utah

• Charisse A. Gulosino, University of Memphis

• Andrea K. Rorrer, University of Utah

• Bill Altermatt, University of Utah