The Charter Center publishes original reports about the role of charter schools in New York’s public education system, and supports outside researchers studying the City’s charter sector.
Publications
02/01/19 / Published by The Manhattan Institute
Lift the Cap: Why New York City Needs More Charter Schools
Charter schools have become a significant part of the education sector in New York City since enabling legislation was passed in 1999. They now educate 123,000 students, or 10% of all public school students in the city, in 236 schools. Minority students from impoverished families benefit most from New York City’s charter schools, which offer strong academics and the prospect of upward mobility. Over 80% of charter students are low-income, and 91% are African-American or Hispanic. The state law that allows the creation and funding of charter schools limits the number of charters that can be operated in the city and state.
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05/01/18 / Published by The Manhattan Institute
Finding Room for New York City Charter Schools
Former mayor Michael Bloomberg championed charter schools and accelerated their growth via colocation, the granting of free space in traditional public school buildings. However, during his 2013 campaign for mayor, Bill de Blasio pledged to curtail the practice. In response, in April 2014 the New York State legislature began requiring the city to offer rental assistance to new charters that are denied space in public school buildings. This report examines the de Blasio administration’s record regarding colocations, the extent to which there is space available for charters in underutilized public school buildings, and what additional steps the city and state might take to find room for charters.
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02/01/18 / Published by The Manhattan Institute
New York City’s Charter Schools: What the Research Shows
This report evaluates the current state of research on New York City charter schools. Overall, their effect on student performance is unambiguously positive. Key findings include: (1) Students who attend a NYC charter instead of a traditional public school do much better on math tests and better, but by a smaller amount, on English language arts tests; (2) Differences in resources do not explain differences in effectiveness between charter schools and traditional public schools; and, (3) There is no evidence that NYC charter schools systematically push out low-performing students. In fact, low-performing students are less likely to exit charter schools than they are to exit traditional public schools, especially after accounting for differences in their demographic characteristics.
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02/01/18 / Published by National Association of Charter School Authorizers
Leadership, Commitment, Judgment: Elements of Successful Charter School Authorizing
Great authorizers—those with strong school portfolios and performance outcomes—implement foundational best practices that NACSA has promoted for years. But to achieve outstanding outcomes, more is needed. When compared to others nationally, great authorizers also share certain additional unmistakable characteristics. This report details examples of demonstrated leadership, judgment, and commitment by some of the best authorizing offices in our nation, including New York.
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10/01/17 / Published by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes Stanford University
Charter School Performance in New York City
This analysis shows that in a year’s time, on average, charter school students in New York City show stronger growth in both reading and math. The impact is statistically significant: thinking of a 180-day school year as “one year of learning”, an average New York City charter student demonstrates growth equivalent to completing 23 additional days of learning in reading and 63 additional days in math each year.
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07/01/17 / Published by New York City Charter School Center
The 2017-18 State Legislative Session and Charter Schools
As part of the agreement to extend mayoral control in New York City for two years, the Charter Center has detailed the provisions and commitments by the State Education Department and the New York City Department of Education that will affect charter schools in New York City.
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05/01/17 / Published by New York City Charter School Center
2017-18 Enrollment Lottery Estimates Report
Parent demand for New York City charter schools increased by seven percent for the 2017-18 school year! There were an estimated 73,000 applicants for the nearly 25,200 seats available in the 227 charter schools that will be operating this fall. This leaves nearly 48,000 students on waitlists citywide.
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05/01/17 / Published by New York City Charter School Center
New Provisions Passed In 2017-18 State Budget Legislation
New York State’s 2017-18 budget includes two significant legislative changes affecting charter schools in New York City regarding changes to the per pupil funding formula and an increase in rental assistance. The Charter Center has drafted a memo to help schools understand how this legislation impacts their work.
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05/01/17 / Published by New York City Charter School Center
Neighborhoods Primed for Charter School Growth: Report
Given the critical needs of many NYC students, particularly those in underserved communities, the Charter Center analyzed district school performance, charter demand, and Census data that identified four neighborhoods in the Bronx and Queens that would particularly benefit from the immediate growth of high quality charter schools.
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03/01/17 / Published by New York City Independent Budget Office
With State Formula for Charter School Funding Likely to Change, City Costs to Grow More Than Budgeted
The IBO released an updated report comparing public spending for charter schools to traditional district schools, and its analysis is clear: not only do NYC charter schools receive less in public spending than their district counterparts, but this funding disparity continues to grow. In the current school year (2016-17), the IBO reports that charter schools will again receive substantially less per pupil regardless of whether it operates in public or private space; the IBO estimates that charters are underfunded compared to traditional district schools by $1,145 to $4,863 per pupil.
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