Charter school advocates are calling for more investment from South Carolina, according to Jamie Self at The State (Columbia, SC):

South Carolina’s public charter schools struggle to find and pay for space, and often end up without access to kitchens, libraries, or places for kids to play – a problem the S.C. General Assembly needs to address, according to a new report.

The challenges that the state’s 49 brick-and-mortar public charter schools face are outlined in a new report, published with help from the Public Charter School Alliance of South Carolina by the Charter School Facilities Initiative, a partnership of federal and state charter school organizations. 

Charter schools in SC, however, are proving to match the growing body of evidence that charter schools produce similar patterns of measurable student outcomes when compared to public schools and that charter schools share and even increase the rising re-segregation of schools in the U.S.

Should SC increase charter school investment? The short answer is, No. But to answer this question fully a few factors should be considered.

First, charter school advocacy is itself a problem; as I have explained before:

Like medicine, then, education and education reform will continue to fail if placed inside the corrosive dynamics of market forces. Instead, the reform of education must include the expertise of educators who are not bound to advocating for customers, but encouraged, rewarded and praised for offering the public the transparent truth about what faces us and what outcomes are the result of any and every endeavor to provide children the opportunity to learn as a member of a free and empowered people.

Education “miracles” do not exist and market forces are neither perfect nor universal silver bullets for any problem – these are conclusions made when we are free of the limitations of advocacy and dedicated to the truth, even when it challenges our beliefs.

Next, if charter schools are a fiscally responsible investment, they should be producing outcomes that distinguish themselves from traditional public schools. However, analyses from two years of report cards for charter schools in SC reveal the clear picture that more investment is not justified (see below for complete analysis of both years’ comparisons):

• Using 2011 SC state repost cards and the metric “Schools with Students Like Ours,” charter schools performed as follows: 3/53 ABOVE Typical, 17/53 Typical, and 33/53 BELOW Typical.
• Using 2013 SC state repost cards and the metric “Schools with Students Like Ours,” charter schools performed as follows: 2/52 ABOVE Typical, 20/52 Typical, 22/52 BELOW Typical.

In other words, almost all charter schools in SC perform about the same or worse than the public schools they are intended to either motivate through market forces to perform better or offer parents better options; neither is likely occurring.

SC should not invest further in charter schools, but should begin decreasing charters while also seeking ways to fund fully and equitably our community public schools—while also abandoning wasteful investments in new standards and testing.

CHARTER SCHOOLS ANALYSIS AND LINKS TO DATA

How Do Charter Schools Compare to “Schools with Students Like Ours” in South Carolina?

2013 — SC Charter School Report Card Performance Compared to “Schools with Students Like Ours”

Above Typical 2/52, Typical 20/52, Below Typical 22/52 (N/A 6/52, * 2)

SOUTH CAROLINA CHARTER SCHOOLS (COMPOSITE) 2012-2013 

2013 State Report Card 

2013 SC CHARTER SCHOOL > DISTRICT

Overall Weighted Points Total	75.5
Overall Grade Conversion	C
Points Total – Elementary Grades	76.6
Points Total – Middle Grades	76.8
Points Total – High School Grades	70.5

 

Charter School or District	ABOVE Typical	Typical	BELOW Typical
SC Public Charter School District			X
CAPE ROMAIN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOL Summary   Full		X
EAST POINT ACADEMY Summary   Full		X
IMAGINE COLUMBIA LEADERSHIP ACADEMY CHARTER Summary   Full			X
LAKE CITY COLLEGE PREP ACADEMY Summary   Full			X
Royal Live Oak Academy of the Arts and Sciences Charter Summary   Full			X
SC CONNECTIONS ACADEMY Summary   Full			X
SC VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL Summary   Full			X
SOUTH CAROLINA CALVERT ACADEMY Summary   Full			X
SPARTANBURG CHARTER SCHOOL Summary   Full		X
YORK PREPARATORY ACADEMY Summary   Full			X
CALHOUN FALLS CHARTER Summary    Full		X
PALMETTO SCHOLARS ACADEMY Summary    Full		X
Youth Leadership Academy Charter Summary    Full		X
Fox Creek High School Summary    Full		X
PALMETTO STATE E-CADEMY Summary    Full			X
PROVOST ACADEMY SOUTH CAROLINA Summary    Full			X
SC WHITMORE SCHOOL Summary    Full		N/A
Academy for Teaching and Learning			X
Academy of Hope		X
Aiken Performing Arts Academy			X
Anderson Five Charter School		N/A
Brashier Middle College	X
Bridgewater Academy		X
Carolina School for Inquiry		X
Charleston Charter School for Math & Science			X
Charleston Development Academy		X
Children’s Attention Home		*
CHOiCES		X
Coastal Montessori			X
Discovery School of Lancaster County			X
East Montessori Charter School		X
Legacy Charter School			X
James Island Charter High School		X
Langston Charter Middle School		X
LEAD Academy	X
Lloyd Kennedy Charter School			X
Meyer Center for Special Children		X
Midland Valley Preparatory School			X
Midlands Math and Business Academy		*
Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five Charter High School for Health Professions			X
Orange Grove Elementary Charter School		X
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success		X
Palmetto Academy of MotorSports		N/A
Palmetto Youth Academy		X
Pattison’s Academy for Comprehensive Education		N/A
Phoenix Charter High School			X
Richland One Middle College		N/A
Richland Two Charter High School		N/A
Riverview Charter School		X
The Apple Charter School			X
Youth Academy Charter School			X

* no data found

2011 — SC Charter School Report Card Performance Compared to “Schools with Students Like Ours”

Using the South Carolina School Report Card system and the state Poverty Index, the tables below list charter schools within the SC Public School Charter District and additional charter schools within public school districts to identify how charter schools in SC compare with “Schools with Students Like Ours” (a metric established by the SC Department of Education, see notes).

Conclusions

• Charter schools in SC have produced outcomes below and occasionally typical of outcomes of public schools; thus, claims of exceptional outcomes for charter schools in SC are unsupported by the data (3/53 ABOVE Typical, 17/53 Typical, and 33/53 BELOW Typical).

• Charter schools in SC vary widely in student populations relative to the Poverty Index; but high-poverty charter schools appear to function below typical compared to high-poverty public schools, and thus, offer rare examples of meeting the needs of high-poverty students superior to outcomes found in public schools.

• Charter school advocacy in SC should be measured against the available data when that advocacy makes claims of exceptional outcomes or outcomes superior to similar public schools.

• Student populations served, stratification of students, enrollment, attrition, teacher status, and teacher turnover remain areas of concern for current charter schools and considerations of expanding charter schools in the state.

SC Poverty Index 2011

2012 ESEA – SC Public School Charter District

Overall Weighted Points Total	69.7
Overall Grade Conversion	D
Points Total – Elementary Grades	80.6
Points Total – Middle Grades	79.1
Points Total – High School Grades	36.7

SC Public School Charter District – EAA School Report Cards 2011

District Summary    District Full

Elementary	Poverty Index	Relative to “Schools with Students Like Ours” (1)
LAKE CITY COLLEGE PREP ACADEMYAt-Risk/Below Average, AYP NM Summary   Full	96.63	BELOW Typical 87/161 Average
MARY L DINKINS CHARTERAt-Risk/At-Risk, AYP NM Summary   Full	100	BELOW Typical 93/115 Average, Below Average
SC CONNECTIONS ACADEMYAverage/Below Average, AYP NM Summary   Full	64.7	BELOW Typical 68/83 Excellent, Good
SC VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLAverage/Below Average, AYP NM Summary   Full	73.22	BELOW Typical 68/108 Excellent, Good
SOUTH CAROLINA CALVERT ACADEMYBelow Average/Average, AYP NM Summary   Full	55.72	BELOW Typical 54/60 Excellent, Good
SPARTANBURG CHARTER SCHOOLGood/Good, AYP NM Summary   Full	55.21	BELOW Typical 33/58 Excellent
YORK PREPARATORY ACADEMYGood/Below Average, AYP NM Summary   Full	29.56	BELOW Typical 18/19 Excellent

Middle	Poverty Index	Relative to “Schools with Students Like Ours” (2)
CALHOUN FALLS CHARTERBelow Average/Below Average, AYP NM Summary    Full	89.34	BELOW Typical 30/58 Average
LAKE CITY COLLEGE PREP ACADEMYAt-Risk/At-Risk, AYP NM Summary    Full	96.63	BELOW Typical 37/62 Average, Below Average
MARY L DINKINS CHARTERAt-Risk/At-Risk, AYP NM Summary    Full	100	BELOW Typical 18/37 Average, Below Average
PALMETTO SCHOLARS ACADEMYExcellent/Good, AYP M Summary    Full	31.82	Typical 10/11 Excellent
SC CONNECTIONS ACADEMYAverage/Average, AYP NM Summary    Full	64.7	BELOW Typical 27/48 Excellent, Good
SC VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLAverage/Average, AYP NM Summary    Full	73.22	Typical 37/57 Average
SOUTH CAROLINA CALVERT ACADEMYBelow Average/Average, AYP NM Summary    Full	55.72	BELOW Typical 26/34 Excellent, Good
YORK PREPARATORY ACADEMYGood/Average, AYP NM Summary    Full	29.56	BELOW Typical 10/11 Excellent

High	Poverty Index	Relative to “Schools with Students Like Ours” (3)
CALHOUN FALLS CHARTERAverage/N/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	89.34	Typical 18/42 Average
MARY L DINKINS CHARTERN/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	100	N/A
PALMETTO STATE E-CADEMYAt-Risk/N/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	65.06	BELOW Typical 38/40 Excellent, Good, Average
PROVOST ACADEMY SOUTH CAROLINAN/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	71.82	N/A
SC CONNECTIONS ACADEMYBelow Average/N/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	64.7	BELOW Typical 38/40 Excellent, Good, Average
SC VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOLAt-Risk/N/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	73.22	BELOW Typical 23/40 Average

SC Charter Schools (outside SCPCSD)

School	Poverty Index	Relative to “Schools with Students Like Ours” (1, 2, 3)
FOX CREEK HIGHExcellent/Good, AYP M Summary    Full	45.07	Typical 17/21 Excellent
CHARTER ACADEMY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNINGAverage/Average, AYP NM Summary    Full	57.41	BELOW Typical 30/38 Excellent, Good
BRIDGEWATER ACADEMY CHARTERAverage/Excellent, AYP NM Summary   Full	74.36	BELOW Typical 65/110 Excellent, Good
PALMETTO ACADEMY OF LEARNING (E)Excellent/Average, AYP M Summary   Full	57.25	Typical 30/65 Excellent
PALMETTO ACADEMY OF LEARNING (M)Good/Average, AYP M Summary    Full	57.25	Typical 16/37 Good
AIKEN PERFORMING ARTS CHARTERAt-Risk/At-Risk, AYP M Summary    Full	76.27	BELOW Typical 23/33 Average
KENNEDY/LLOYD CHARTER SCHOOLAt-Risk/Below Average, AYP M Summary    Full	93.75	BELOW Typical 51/72 Average, Below Average
MIDLAND VALLEY CHARTER PREPARATORY SCHOOLBelow Average/Average, AYP NM Summary    Full	79.63	BELOW Typical 43/59 Average
BRASHIER MIDDLE COLLEGE CHARTERExcellent/Good, AYP M Summary    Full	18.86	Typical 5/5 Excellent
LANGSTON CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOLExcellent/Excellent, AYP M Summary    Full	16.15	Typical 4/4 Excellent
LEAD ACADEMYBelow Average/Average, AYP NM Summary   Full	88.16	BELOW Typical 97/129 Average
MEYER CENTER FOR SPECIAL CHILDRENExcellent/Good, AYP M Summary    Full	94	Typical 8/10 Excellent
CAROLINA SCHOOL FOR INQUIRYBelow Average/Average, AYP NM Summary   Full	85.22	BELOW Typical 89/124 Average
LEGACY CHARTER (ELEM)Below Average/Below Average, AYP NM Summary   Full	87.31	BELOW Typical 97/125 Average
LEGACY CHARTER (MID)At-Risk/At-Risk, AYP NM Summary    Full	87.31	BELOW Typical 46/49 Average, Below Average
GREENVILLE TECHNICAL CHARTERExcellent/Excellent, AYP M Summary    Full	27.49	Typical 5/5 Excellent
GREER MIDDLE COLLEGE CHARTER SCHOOLExcellent/N/A, AYP M Summary    Full	21.48	Typical 5/5 Excellent
RICHLAND 1 CHARTER MIDDLE COLLEGEN/A Summary    Full	78.87	N/A
MIDLANDS MATH & BUSINESS CHARTER ACADEMY (E)Below Average/At-Risk, AYP NM Summary   Full	94.19	BELOW Typical 110/191 Average
MIDLANDS MATH & BUSINESS CHARTER ACADEMY (M)Below Average/Below Average, AYP NM Summary    Full	94.19	Typical 31/71 Below Average
CHARLESTON CHARTER SCHOOL FOR MATH AND SCIENCE (H)N/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	57.91	N/A
CHARLESTON CHARTER SCHOOL FOR MATH AND SCIENCE (M)Average/Average, AYP NM Summary    Full	57.91	BELOW Typical 33/41 Excellent, Good
CHARLESTON DEVELOPMENTAL ACADEMY CHARTER (E)Good/Excellent, AYP M Summary   Full	91.96	ABOVE Typical 104/166 Average
CHARLESTON DEVELOPMENTAL ACADEMY CHARTER (M)Average/Average, AYP M Summary    Full	91.96	ABOVE Typical 43/70 Below Average, At-Risk
GREG MATHIS CHARTERAt-Risk/Below Average, N/A Summary    Full	98.94	Typical 6/14 At-Risk
JAMES ISLAND CHARTER HIGHExcellent/Excellent, AYP NM Summary    Full	47.22	Typical 18/26 Excellent
EAST COOPER MONTESSORI CHARTER (E)Excellent/Excellent, AYP M Summary   Full	13.54	Typical 7/7 Excellent
EAST COOPER MONTESSORI CHARTER (M)Excellent/Excellent, AYP M Summary    Full	13.54	Typical 3/3 Excellent
ORANGE GROVE CHARTERExcellent/Excellent, AYP NM Summary   Full	61.26	ABOVE Typical 32/68 Good
PATTISONS ACADEMY (E)N/A, AYP NM Summary   Full	100	N/A
PATTISONS ACADEMY (M)N/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	100	N/A
THE APPLE CHARTER SCHOOLAt-Risk/At-Risk, AYP NM Summary   Full	95.73	BELOW Typical 99/187 Average
CHILDREN’S ATTENTION CHARTER (E)At-Risk/At-Risk, AYP NM Summary   Full	96.77	BELOW Typical 87/171 Average
CHILDREN’S ATTENTION CHARTER (M)N/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	96.77	N/A
CHOICES (M)At-Risk/At-Risk, AYP NM Summary    Full	92.73	BELOW Typical 47/65 Average, Below Average
CHOICES (H) N/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	92.73	N/A
DISCOVERY CHARTER OF LANCASTERExcellent/Excellent, AYP M Summary   Full	39.81	Typical 23/25 Excellent
PHOENIX CHARTER HIGH SCHOOLAt-Risk/Excellent, N/A Summary    Full	87.5	BELOW Typical 19/40 Average
PALMETTO YOUTH ACADEMYBelow Average/Good, AYP M Summary   Full	93.22	BELOW Typical 109/182 Average
RICHLAND TWO CHARTER HIGHN/A, AYP NM Summary    Full	N/A	N/A
RIVERVIEW CHARTER SCHOOLGood/Good, AYP M Summary   Full	35.31	BELOW Typical 22/23 Excellent
YOUTH ACADEMY CHARTERN/A, AYP NMSummaryFull	100	N/A

(1) Ratings are calculated with data available by 11/09/2011.  Schools with Students Like Ours are Elementary Schools with Poverty Indices of no more than 5% above or below the index for this school.

(2) Ratings are calculated with data available by 11/09/2011.  Schools with Students Like Ours are Middle Schools with Poverty Indices of no more than 5% above or below the index for this school.

(3) Ratings are calculated with data available by 11/09/2011.  Schools with Students Like Ours are High Schools with Poverty Indices of no more than 5% above or below the index for this school.