The Charter Blog

A new publication released by Temple University analyzes the spillover effects of public charter schools in New York City neighborhoods. The report by Sarah Cordes, titled “In Pursuit of the Common Good: The Spillover Effects of Charter Schools on Public School Students in New York City,” finds evidence that the closer a public charter is to a traditional public school, the higher traditional public school students will score on Math and Language Arts assessments. Cordes is one of the first researchers to tackle how charter schools’ proximity affects academic performance of neighboring traditional public schools, with special consideration given to traditional and charter public schools located in the same building. Charter schools can benefit financially from co-locating with traditional public schools, as it can help alleviate certain facilities, maintenance, and upkeep costs. Cordes wanted to discover whether these blended-style buildings had a symbiotic relationship, or ultimately proved detrimental to students due to resource constraints.

Like many of you, the team at the National Alliance is using the summer months to take stock of our successes over the past six months and plan ahead for improvements.

Good researchers need good data. The National Alliance releases reports on charter school enrollment share and estimated charter school enrollment every year, and we depend on our state partners to collect and release necessary data so we can give appropriate policy recommendations.

In the course of helping students succeed throughout the classroom-to-career journey, many of us confront a recurring irony. While worrisome, it serves as a good catalyst for thinking proactively about student success. By far, the biggest reason students cite for dropping out of college is difficulty with their personal finances. Regardless of the specific reason for leaving, most are in good academic standing when they leave school. In other words, a nonacademic factor – financial stress – is heavily influencing academic outcomes. What better time is there to be proactive about one of the biggest risks to college completion than early in the college experience (or even before it begins)? At Student Connections, helping schools and students do just that is one way we are helping improve postsecondary outcomes.

This month, beginning with National Charter Schools Week, we will feature stories from charter school graduates from across the country. Check back every day to see a new student feature in our 30 Days of Grad series.

This month, beginning with National Charter Schools Week, we will feature stories from charter school graduates from across the country. Check back every day to see a new student feature in our 30 Days of Grad series.

This month, beginning with National Charter Schools Week, we will feature stories from charter school graduates from across the country. Check back every day to see a new student feature in our 30 Days of Grad series.

This month, beginning with National Charter Schools Week, we will feature stories from charter school graduates from across the country. Check back every day to see a new student feature in our 30 Days of Grad series.

This month, beginning with National Charter Schools Week, we will feature stories from charter school graduates from across the country. Check back every day to see a new student feature in our 30 Days of Grad series. Today, we are also celebrating Proof Point Day - a national effort to recognize first generation college graduates. Briana is a first generation college graduate and will join the National Alliance staff in July!

This month, beginning with National Charter Schools Week, we will feature stories from charter school graduates from across the country. Check back every day to see a new student feature in our 30 Days of Grad series.