Exploring Charter School Innovation: A Comparison of Popular Charter School Models

Figures & data

Table 1. Percentage of Charter Schools Outperforming Local School District by Model.

Model	Percent Better than District - ELA	Percent Better than District - Math
Art	62%	45%
Classical	70%	62%
CTE	34%	21%
High Expectations	53%	53%
Home School	NA	NA
Language Immersion	48%	44%
Montessori	64%	47%
Progression	46%	41%
Project-Based Learning	51%	39%
STEM	65%	61%

Note: The homeschool model includes cyber charter schools which draw students from across the state. For that reason, we excluded them from Table 2 and Figure 1.

Table 2. Percentage of Charter Schools Outperforming The Stateby Model.

Model	Percent Better than State - ELA	Percent Better than State - Math
Art	54%	34%
Classical	70%	63%
CTE	26%	15%
High Expectations	33%	36%
Home School	24%	4%
Language Immersion	40%	38%
Montessori	65%	47%
Progression	37%	30%
Project-Based Learning	46%	34%
STEM	50%	50%

Table 3. Arizona’s Participation, Proficiency, and Average Scores by Model.

State	Model	Total ELA Participation	Total Math Participation	Average student score - Math	Average student score - ELA	State Weighted Math Performance - Public	State Weighted ELA Performance - Public
AZ	Art	2913	2920	35.1	45.9	43.7	45.0
AZ	Classical	12,153	12,177	63.2	64.6	43.7	45.0
AZ	CTE	168	167	17.3	16.8	43.7	45.0
AZ	High Expectations	10,237	10,242	58.9	61.1	43.7	45.0
AZ	Home School	1567	1483	30.0	36.8	43.7	45.0
AZ	Language Immersion	2,318	2,319	64.4	65.2	43.7	45.0
AZ	Montessori	2,556	2,564	52.9	65.1	43.7	45.0
AZ	Progression	3,932	3,941	50.0	52.4	43.7	45.0
AZ	Project-Based Learning	1,729	1,731	50.4	55.6	43.7	45.0
AZ	STEM	10,436	10,323	66.6	66.2	43.7	45.0

Table 4. California’s Participation, Proficiency, and Average Scores by Model.

State	Model	Total ELA Participation	Total Math Participation	Average student score - Math	Average student score - ELA	State Weighted Math Performance - Public	State Weighted ELA Performance - Public
CA	Art	8,989	8,957	42.2	56.4	39.5	50.7
CA	Classical	3,354	3,347	52.1	64.3	39.5	50.7
CA	CTE	1,897	1,875	42.4	57.1	39.5	50.7
CA	High Expectations	18035	18036	36.2	47.4	39.5	50.7
CA	Home School	18211	18150	21.7	43.9	39.5	50.7
CA	Language Immersion	8850	8862	38.8	49.4	39.5	50.7
CA	Montessori	4353	4337	34.6	52.7	39.5	50.7
CA	Progression	11541	11555	34.3	52.6	39.5	50.7
CA	Project-Based Learning	5,716	5,728	44.2 40.9	58.8 51.5	39.5	50.7
CA	STEM	16,028	16,084			39.5	50.7

Table 5. Florida’s Participation, Proficiency, and Average Scores by Model.

State	Model	Total ELA Participation	Total Math Participation	Average student score - Math	Average student score - ELA	State Weighted Math Performance - Public	State Weighted ELA Performance - Public
FL	Art	8,870	8,458	68.7	68.1	58.8	55.8
FL	Classical	4,160	4,085	78.0	78.3	58.8	55.8
FL	CTE	2,717	2,437	73.9	72.6	58.8	55.8
FL	High Expectations	1081	1048	54.8	47.0	58.8	55.8
FL	Home School	733	723	43.0	61.0	58.8	55.8
FL	Language Immersion	1,842	1,839	68.6	66.9	58.8	55.8
FL	Montessori	1,534	1,519	64.1	74.8	58.8	55.8
FL	Progression	33,275	32,471	60.8	60.3	58.8	55.8
FL	Project-Based Learning	149	148	59.2	63.9	58.8	55.8
FL	STEM	17,881	17,525	62.6	62.5	58.8	55.8

Table 6. Texas’s Participation, Proficiency, and Average Scores by Model.

State	Model	Total ELA Participation	Total Math Participation	Average Student Score - Math	Average Student Score ELA	State Weighted Math Performance	State Weighted ELA Performance
TX	Art	1,627	1,582	46.0	51.9	50.5	46.6
TX	Classical	10,517	10,197	52.4	57.2	50.5	46.6
TX	CTE	2,878	2,778	40.7	36.3	50.5	46.6
TX	High Expectations	24,478	22,850	49.9	43.6	50.5	46.6
TX	Home School	4,196	3,901	29.1	51.4	50.5	46.6
TX	Language Immersion	14,665	14,428	43.9	45.8	50.5	46.6
TX	Montessori	299	299	40.8	50.5	50.5	46.6
TX	Progression	4,031	3,729	37.4	39.0	50.5	46.6
TX	Project-Based Learning	728	582	18.5	23.1	50.5	46.6
TX	STEM	24,693	23,197	54.3	50.3	50.5	46.6

Figure 1. Top Ten Charter School Models by 2018-19 NAEP-Weighted Z Scores - RLA.

Figure 2. Top Ten Charter School Models by 2018-19 NAEP-Weighted Z Scores - Math.

Table

Top Models by 2018–19 NAEP-Weighted Z-Scores - RLA
Top Models	LEP Model Z-Score	CWD Model Z-Score	ECD Model Z-Score	4th Model Z-Score	8th Model Z-Score
Classical	0.06	0.36	0.45	0.56	0.81
Montessori	0.08	0.56	0.14	0.31	0.64
Art	0.12	0.05	−0.07	0.05	0.45
STEM	−0.08	−0.07	0.12	0.11	0.40
Progression	0.06	−0.03	0.10	0.14	0.11
Project-Based Learning	−0.27	0.10	−0.35	−0.12	0.53
Language Immersion	0.00	−0.22	−0.25	−0.05	0.05
CTE	-0.14	-0.09	−0.34	0.24	−0.26
High Expectations	0.05	−0.48	0.01	−0.14	−0.10
Home School	−0.45	−0.21	−0.30	−0.48	−0.13
General	−0.08	−0.20	−0.16	−0.06	0.03

Table

Top Models by 2018–19 NAEP-Weighted Z-Scores - Math
Top Models	LEP Z-Score	CWD Z-Score	ECD Z Score	4th Grade Z-Score	8th Grade Z-Score
Classical	−0.12	0.21	0.21	0.47	0.61
STEM	−0.03	−0.11	0.12	0.12	0.43
High Expectations	0.10	−0.39	0.13	−0.03	0.07
Montessori	−0.17	0.01	−0.15	−0.19	0.23
Progression	−0.10	−0.20	−0.06	−0.02	−0.06
Art	−0.11	−0.14	−0.34	−0.13	0.16
CTE	−0.11	−0.23	−0.39	0.01	−0.03
Project-Based Learning	−0.45	−0.18	−0.54	−0.18	0.36
Language Immersion	−0.16	−0.33	−0.37	−0.12	−0.21
Home School	−0.78	−0.64	−1.08	−0.88	−0.81
General	−0.10	−0.24	−0.20	−0.11	0.02

Table

State	Average ELA Score	Weight
DoDEA	257.5	1.071
Massachusetts	252	1.048
New Jersey	248.5	1.033
Connecticut	247	1.027
New Hampshire	246	1.023
Utah	246	1.023
Colorado	246	1.023
Wyoming	246	1.023
Vermont	245	1.019
Ohio	244.5	1.017
Idaho	244.5	1.017
Indiana	244	1.015
Florida	244	1.015
Wisconsin	243.5	1.012
Montana	243.5	1.012
Pennsylvania	243.5	1.012
Washington	243	1.010
Maine	243	1.010
Nebraska	243	1.010
Minnesota	243	1.010
Virginia	243	1.010
South Dakota	242.5	1.008
Maryland	242	1.006
North Dakota	242	1.006
Kentucky	242	1.006
North Carolina	242	1.006
Illinois	241.5	1.004
Iowa	241.5	1.004
Oregon	241	1.002
Kansas	241	1.002
Rhode Island	241	1.002
New York	241	1.002
National public	240.5	1
Missouri	240.5	1.000
Michigan	240.5	1.000
Tennessee	240.5	1.000
Georgia	240	0.998
Delaware	239	0.994
Hawaii	238	0.990
Nevada	238	0.990
Arizona	237.5	0.988
South Carolina	237.5	0.988
California	237.5	0.988
Mississippi	237.5	0.988
Arkansas	237	0.985
Oklahoma	237	0.985
Texas	236	0.981
West Virginia	234.5	0.975
Louisiana	233.5	0.971
Alabama	232.5	0.967
District of Columbia	232	0.965
New Mexico	230	0.956
Alaska	228	0.948

Table

State	Average Math Score	Weight
DoDEA	271	1.040
Massachusetts	270.5	1.038
Minnesota	269.5	1.035
New Jersey	269	1.033
Virginia	267	1.025
New Hampshire	266	1.021
Wyoming	266	1.021
Wisconsin	265.5	1.019
Indiana	265.5	1.019
Connecticut	264.5	1.015
North Dakota	264.5	1.015
Pennsylvania	264.5	1.015
Nebraska	264.5	1.015
Utah	264.5	1.015
South Dakota	264	1.013
Idaho	264	1.013
Ohio	263.5	1.012
Colorado	263.5	1.012
Vermont	263	1.010
Washington	263	1.010
Montana	262.5	1.008
North Carolina	262.5	1.008
Florida	262.5	1.008
Texas	262	1.006
Maine	261.5	1.004
Iowa	261.5	1.004
National public	260.5	1.000
Kansas	260.5	1.000
Illinois	260	0.998
Tennessee	260	0.998
Missouri	259.5	0.996
Maryland	259.5	0.996
Arizona	259	0.994
New York	258.5	0.992
Georgia	258.5	0.992
Kentucky	258.5	0.992
Michigan	258	0.990
Oregon	258	0.990
Delaware	258	0.990
Rhode Island	257.5	0.988
Mississippi	257.5	0.988
Hawaii	257	0.987
Oklahoma	256.5	0.985
South Carolina	256.5	0.985
California	255.5	0.981
Nevada	255	0.979
Arkansas	253.5	0.973
Alaska	253	0.971
District of Columbia	252	0.967
West Virginia	251.5	0.965
Louisiana	251.5	0.965
New Mexico	250	0.960
Alabama	249.5	0.958
Puerto Rico	203.5	0.781