Accomplishments
of Rhode Island's Charter Schools
Since 1995, there has been a measured and cautious growth
of Rhode Island’s charter schools. In a state
that once anticipated 20 schools, and capped the overall
growth of charters at 4% of the state’s public
school population, RI has seen only ten schools open
in eight years. These ten schools represent 1.1% of
the current state public school population.
In spite of this slow and measured growth, Rhode Island
has much to be proud of in the charter school movement.
In 1995 and 1998, the Rhode Island State Legislature
passed charter school bills that allowed the creation
of public schools that were self governing, fiscally
autonomous, mirrored the student body of the host district,
were experimental and whose missions were to increase
pupil achievement and parental participation. Charter
schools have taken partnerships with Community Based
Organizations and corporations to the level that some
“21st Century Schools” now aspire to.
Within eight years, ten start-up institutions
have gotten off the ground, started whole school communities
from scratch, and met the criteria of Rhode Island’s
pro-public charter school law. The faculties
are half unionized, all certified, and earn the union
pay scale of the district where the school is located.
Parents are involved in school governance and the student
bodies are most at-risk students from high poverty urban
areas. Schools have purchased and rehabilitated vacant
property (through bank loans and bonding) without the
benefits of the housing aid benefits that districts
enjoy. The ten RI charters can each boast of a successful
struggle against long odds.
When test scores are examined, charters
routinely outperform their peers in district schools.
In the case of district affiliated charter schools,
their high scores help to raise the report card for
the entire district. However, due to the infrequency
of state New Standards tests (4th, 8th and 10th) it
is possible for a school to open as an early primary
school and not be tested for a couple of years. However,
the data that we do have and can compare, demonstrates
a clear trend of charter success and a clear lack of
underperformance to the districts. Also, charter schools
collect yearly longitudinal data on their students and
can show growth over time, student by student.
The intent of the legislature has been fulfilled.
The success of Rhode Island charters is encouraging
and should be celebrated. The cap should
be lifted and allow the marketplace to decide where
charter schools should open. Urban districts should
be allowed to open charters to begin to replicate some
of the best practices that are found in new, start-up
schools. When objectivity is applied to our view of
charter schools it is evident that they are working
hard fulfill their promises to public education.
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