By Brigitte Blom Ramsey
Special to NKyTribune
The question about whether or not to introduce charter schools in Kentucky is one without a simple answer. Kentucky is not alone. States across the nation have debated this issue for years. We are right to deliberate and move with caution, fully aware of the tradeoffs and benefiting from our nation’s now 25-year experiment with public charter schools.
The Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence conducted extensive research and convened a group of our members and interested citizens in 2014 on this topic. As a result, we produced a report entitled, Charter Schools: An Informational Guide.
The committee did not take an official position in support of, nor in opposition to, charter schools. However, we recognized that the real question is not, are you for or against charters. The question needs to be about how we close the achievement gap in Kentucky.
With this in mind, if the Kentucky General Assembly considers charter enabling legislation this session, the committee believes strongly that the law must have the clear goal of closing these gaps in student outcomes and must specify clear criteria for charters that proves to maintain a strong public system of education and our commitment to all of Kentucky’s students.
Kentucky’s educational progress since 1990 has been significant. We now rank eighth in fourth grade reading on NAEP (National Assessment of Education Progress) and our growth in student outcomes in math and reading since the 1990s is in the top quarter of all states. Yet, achievement gaps persist. This is true across the nation for African-American and Hispanic students, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families, and states are seeking ways to reverse this trend.
The most complete research evaluating outcomes of charter schools is from The Center for Research on Student Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University. The center has found the overall performance of charter schools to be mixed, with significant variance in whether charter schools actually improved overall reading and math. However, the research concludes that charters were found to be beneficial in urban settings with African-American and Hispanic students, students living in poverty and English language learners. When one or more of these designations was combined (i.e. African-American and poverty) the results were even more positive.
As part of the committee’s review of the issue, we identified certain principles as vital to the continued success of our public school system while assuring that charter schools maintain Kentucky’s commitment to student achievement and ending achievement gaps. These principles include the following:
Charter schools should be held to the same standards for student proficiency, safety and operations as required by Kentucky law for all other public schools.
Charter schools should be authorized by local boards of education following rules established by the state Board of Education. These rules should include details on authorizing and opening of a charter school as well as oversight and closing of a charter school.
Charter schools should be allowed only in circumstances of persistently low-achieving schools and/or significant achievement gaps.
Charter schools cannot discriminate in the enrollment of students and must provide free and reduced-price meals and full services for students with disabilities.
Funding for charter schools should not diminish the resources currently available to school districts to educate and increase achievement for all students. Any proposal must guarantee that schools and districts remain adequately and equitably funded according to Kentucky law as outlined in Rose v. Council for Better Education.
Lastly, whether Kentucky enacts enabling legislation for charter schools or not, we must recognize that too many students are not achieving at high levels. This puts their future at risk and keeps the state from creating and sustaining a dynamic, competitive workforce. We must come together — policymakers, elected officials, educators, citizens and business leaders — to ensure Kentucky achieves excellence with equity for all of its students.
Brigitte Blom Ramsey is executive director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence.