For years the American education system has wrestled with the achievement gap. This term is a fancy word for the educational inequalities between different racial groups of students and between students from families with different income levels.  Proponents of charter schools have often argued that part of their mission and vision is to overcome this gap. But in previous years, those who oppose charter schools argued that charter schools are not overcoming the achievement gap but are just cherry-picking the best students from other public schools during admission. However, a new study from Stanford University found evidence supporting charter school advocates’ claims. Not only do charter schools enroll a more challenging student population, but they also produce superior student gains compared to traditional public schools. 

In part one of this series, we will look at what new information the Stanford study has to offer students, families, and policymakers, and in part two, we will discuss why a particular group of charter schools is having success eliminating inequality on the education front.

In the Stanford study, researchers compare academic growth among students in three groups of schools: stand-alone charter schools, charter schools managed by a network, and traditional public schools. Over 2.7 million students from 7,300 charter schools in 31 states were included in the study, and the results were astounding, especially when it came to charter schools managed by a network.

Charter schools managed by networks were so effective at achieving educational equality, Stanford refers to them as “gap busters.” The research looked at achievement in terms of learning days. Students in network-managed charter schools did the best. These students achieved 27 additional days of learning in reading and 23 additional days in math above the expected baseline for learning. The study also noted that disadvantaged students could achieve the same added days of learning as non-disadvantaged students. 

Now, let’s break that into more simple terms and use our imaginations. Meet Tommy, an imaginary kid whose parents are looking at kindergarten options. They live below the poverty line in a low-income neighborhood with a poor-performing school. Research suggests that if Tommy goes to the neighborhood school, he is likely to fall farther behind more affluent children every year that he is in the public school. This situation is the “achievement gap” in action. However, this school is not Tommy’s only choice (though it would be for many American children). There is a network-managed charter school close enough for him to attend and not strain his family financially. Based on the research above, where should Tommy probably go to school?

Or what if you were a teacher or administrator at the poor-performing school in Tommy’s neighborhood? Would you be interested or open to learning from the education model of the nearby successful charter school?

Baker Mitchell runs a network of charter schools that was evaluated in the study and the networks’ schools are highly rated gap busters. Mr. Mitchell commented in The National Review on his attempts to coordinate with the superintendent of his local school district in the past. He said he had called to discuss ways to collaborate, but that no one had ever returned the call. Mr. Mitchell’s network is growing enrollment and closing the achievement gap. North Carolina public school enrollment is in decline and the achievement gap grows year after year. If you were a North Carolina superintendent, wouldn’t you want to understand what the gap-buster schools are doing differently?

For public school districts that really care about education equality, it’s time to pick up the phone. So, what is it about the networks of charter schools that make them more academically successful? In part two, we’ll dive into some ingredients in the charter school networks’ recipe for success.