Exploratory Analyis of NAEP Data Prepared for the National Assessment Governing Board Who Attends Charter Schools and How Are Those Students Doing? December 2012

This report examines what the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) can tell us about charter school enrollment and student performance compared to that of regular public schools. The study uses NAEP reading and mathematics data from 2011 and the earlier years when charter school data first became available (2003 for grade 4; 2005 for grade 8). The study finds that while charter schools still account for a relatively small percentage of overall public school enrollment (about 3%), this percentage is growing rapidly, particularly in large cities. A sizable jump was found in charter school enrollment for the black student subgroup. In terms of achievement, there is a consistent pattern of higher average NAEP scores for regular public schools than for charters when we look at the nation as a whole. However, the closer we focus in on large cities, where most charter schools are located, the more the picture changes in favor of charter schools. In all large cities combined, student achievement is roughly even overall, but the black and Hispanic subgroups show higher scores in charter schools. When w