School Choice: Data From Charter Schools of Color in Minnesota

Abstract

There are 180 charter schools operating in Minnesota, and 40.5% of these schools enroll more than 63% of students of color. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree to which charter schools serving communities of color in this Midwestern state are committed to providing parents with the necessary academic metrics like graduation rates, test scores, student-teacher ratios, and teacher profiles. Using a systematic review, data were collected on 73 charter schools serving students of color. Very few of these charter schools report graduation rates and student-teacher ratios, while none of them report test scores and teacher profiles on the Minnesota Department of Education's (MDE) webpage, the Data Center. Parents have insufficient information to make rational choices.