Charter Schools as a Vehicle for Education Reform: Implementation and Outcomes at Three Inner-City Sites

Abstract

This study examined the impact of 3 2nd-year charter schools (1 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school) on student achievement, school climate, and pedagogy. All schools served predominantly African American students in an inner-city district. Using a matched treatment-control student analytical design, charter school enrollees were individually matched to highly comparable control students of the same ethnicity, poverty level, gender, and ability. Qualitative and descriptive analyses showed reasonable to good progress in program implementation, very strong school climate, positive teacher and parent perceptions, largely traditional but academically-focused teaching, and positive student achievement on state-mandated tests (p < .05 on 12 out of 18 school × cohort × subtest comparisons). Interpretations of results stress the likely implications of teacher and family choice for effective implementation of the charter schools' academic and organizational programs.