Are charter schools better than traditional public schools? Not necessarily

Kristin Longley | By Kristin Longley | The Flint Journal
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on May 18, 2009 at 10:41 AM, updated May 19, 2009 at 7:18 AM

GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan -- Tameka Thompson had a feeling that enrolling her daughter in the International Academy of Flint three years ago would pay off -- and so far it has.

Not only is her daughter making the grade, but the charter school itself also is pulling in high honors for its academic achievement among the urban population it serves.

But that's not always the case with local charter schools, most of them created a decade ago to provide parents with more choice in their child's education.

There's not much difference between the test scores of most charter schools compared to traditional public schools in Genesee County, according to a Flint Journal review of the average percentages of students who met or exceeded standards on the 2008 Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) test.

Looking at math, reading and writing MEAP scores of students in grades 3-8, the lowest performing buildings in the county were a mix of charter schools and public school districts.

In other words, some charter schools were better in some areas, lacking in others -- and generally measured about the same as traditional schools when it came to the standardized test.

So, are local charter schools a better alternative to public ones? It depends on who you ask.

The public school vs. charter school debate is a touchy one, with conflicting sides touting the merits of one over the other. Charter schools are smaller and more innovative, supporters say. Those in the public school districts' corner say charters aren't efficient or as innovative as they claim to be.

Thompson, a Flint resident, has a unique perspective on the issue: She also has a child in the Grand Blanc School District, the highest local performer for MEAP results.

"Both my children like their schools," she said. "I like that I have a choice."

A charter school is a state-supported public school operating under a contract issued by a public body, such as a university.

Charter schools may include grades K-12, or any combination, and can have areas of specialization, such as music or technology. They can't charge tuition and, though youngsters apply to the facility, students may not be screened out based on race, religion, sex or test scores.

Only two of the 10 local charters had significantly higher MEAP numbers than their "host districts": the Academy of Flint, located in the Westwood Heights district boundaries, and the International Academy of Flint, in the Flint School District.

In reading and writing, the Academy of Flint was the only charter school to have a higher average percentage of students meet or surpass MEAP expectations than overall state averages. The International Academy of Flint was the only charter to have more students score better than the state average in mathematics.

Both charter schools were middle of the road when compared to all of Genesee County's 21 traditional public school districts and 10 charter schools. However, both schools also scored at least 25 percentcq higher than their "host districts."

"They are breaking that cycle where high poverty typically affects academic performance," said Gary Naeyaert, spokesman for the Michigan Association of Public School Academies.

At the bottom of the list was Northridge Academy in Flint, which had an average of 41 percent of its students pass math, reading and writing on the MEAP this year. No other charter school or public school district, including Flint and nearby Beecher, had a lower average percentage.

Fred Stofflet, a vice president with Northridge's management company, Leona Group, said the school's MEAP scores are improving in many areas. It also has a high student poverty population, with more than 95 percent of its youngsters eligible for the federal free or reduced lunch program, he said.

MEAP data show that Northride, and Center and Grand Blanc academies were in the bottom five countywide, along with Flint and Beecher public schools, in the average percentage of students who passed math, writing and reading.

"Educating kids, especially in urban environments, is a very challenging process," Naeyaert said. "Is every school a success? No, they're not. ... But the expectations and the mindset are different on the charter side."

There is some debate, however, about the performance of charter schools.

Charters in Michigan seem to be doing similar to traditional public schools, said Sharif Shakrani, co-director of the Education Policy Center at Michigan State University.

"Some are performing better than others, some are not achieving their objectives," he said.

But recognizing that many charter schools receive students who weren't doing well academically to start with, Shakrani said it seems as if some -- not all -- charters improve students' proficiency faster than the local public school.

However, the idea that charters spark competition and improve education all-around doesn't seem to be the case. Charter schools actually add to the problems of local school districts, Shakrani said.

"That's happening in Flint and it's happening in Detroit and Lansing and Saginaw and other large areas," he said.

One of the main ways that happens is through funding.

Charter schools and public schools receive much of their money from their per-pupil allotment from the state. Public schools receive more than $7,000 per pupil. When a student leaves a public school to attend a charter school, that money follows the student.

That's bad news for struggling districts such as Flint, which has lost thousands of students and has had to close multimillion-dollar budget deficits in the past several years.

Roughly three-quarters of the state's charter schools are located in urban "cluster" districts, including Flint, according to a report on charters by the state Department of Education.

Demographically, charter schools tend to look similar to their public school counterparts. However, charter schools in Michigan continue to serve fewer special education students.

Statewide, African-American students in charter schools performed better than African-American students in traditional public schools, according to the report.

While it's clear that many charter schools provide a successful academic environment, the state report, recently released to the Legislature, said "growing pains remain" when it comes to the academic success of charters compared to traditional public school districts statewide.

Naeyaert noted that most charter students come from urban districts, with numerous obstacles to overcome.

Not everyone would agree with that assumption, however.

"From my estimation, most charter schools pull kids from all over (the county)," said Thomas Svitkovich, superintendent of the Genesee Intermediate School District, the umbrella agency over public school districts and academies.

Svitkovich said many charters have failed to live up to the expectation that they would be "centers of innovation" that would create competition and improve the entire system.

"Legislation never created a process where innovation would be shared openly with everyone," he said. "And we've found most public schools have those same innovations in place."

In the Flint School District, for example, the application-based programs that require students to maintain a certain grade-point average had some of the highest countywide MEAP proficiency rates. The Classical Academy and Southwestern Academy met or exceeded state standards in every subject area, said Superintendent Linda Thompson.

The district also is home to the celebrated Junior Naval ROTC and Model United Nations programs.

But Thompson said the district isn't purposely trying to best the local charter schools.

"We just strive to do the best we do," she said.

The district overall performed near the bottom on the MEAP, but Thompson said Flint faces tough challenges, including its size, and a high poverty rate.

"We have to ensure we're providing the best education for our kids," she said. "Charters are another choice for parents. It's a competition."

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