RD124 - Annual Report on Public Charter Schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia


Executive Summary:
The evaluation of the public charter schools of Virginia examines the three public charter schools in operation in the state during the 2005-2006 school year. All three schools are designed to provide alternative and experiential learning opportunities for students who are at-risk. However, differences among these schools include: the histories of the schools, characteristics of the communities served, characteristics of the students enrolled, size of the student bodies, grade levels served, resources available, and educational approaches and priorities.

Key Observations and Findings

• Schools. -- Of the 94,000 public schools nationally in 2005-2006, approximately 3,600 were charter schools, and only three of those were in Virginia. The enrollment for the three charter schools was 231 students as of June 2006 which was less than 0.1 percent of the total Virginia public school population. No new charter schools were approved or denied during the 2005-2006 school year.

• Staff. -- The schools reported a total of approximately 37 staff members including principals, teachers, paraprofessionals, and guidance counselors. The average student-to-teacher ratio was 8.3 students per teacher. All teacher positions we refilled by licensed and endorsed individuals.

• Progress in Achieving Goals. -- Progress reported in terms of improved academic achievement, average daily attendance, and decreased dropout rates vary from year to year and among the schools. Two schools, Murray High School and York River Academy achieved Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) goals under the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2OOl" for the 2005-2006 school year based on data from spring 2005. Official Standards of Learning (SOL) test data for 2005-2006 will be available from the Virginia Department of Education after October 1, 2006. For 2004-2005 and 2005-2006, Murray High School and York River Academy were fully accredited. The overall average daily attendance rate in the charter schools improved slightly during the last several years and is presently at 91.4 percent. The state rate is 95.2 percent. While dropout rates in the public charter schools have historically been much higher than comparable rates for the divisions in which they are chartered, dropout rates over the last several years for these schools have improved. Official dropout rates for 2005-2006 will be available from the Virginia Department of Education after October 1, 2006.

• Comparison of Student Performance. -- None of the schools report having conducted a comprehensive comparison of the performance of their students and the students in the traditional schools in their division or a longitudinal analysis of year-to-year improvement on a student-by-student basis. Some have self-reported that survey responses by students and parents suggest that the students are generally performing better than if the students had remained in a traditional school.

• Impact on the Community. -- All of the schools report programs to achieve parental and community involvement. The perceptions of the schools, community awards, other forms of recognition, and parental surveys suggest success in these efforts. Available information suggests that the small size, individualized instruction, and innovative approaches to education found in these schools have had a positive impact on the communities they serve.