Like their elementary and middle school counterparts, Florida charter high schools earned higher concentrations of both A and F grades than district schools, according to the state’s latest school grades report.
Just how much higher depends on how you slice it. Bear with us.
The latest report, released Dec. 18, shows 63 percent of charter high schools earning A’s for the 2012-13 school year, compared to 46 percent of district high schools. But there’s a caveat.
The December report excluded at least 31 high schools (most of them charter schools) because the grades were reported last summer with the elementary and middle school grades. According to Cheryl Etters, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Education, some high schools were graded on an 800-point scale because the school was missing one or more data points for a complete evaluation. For example, a charter school without a senior class would not be able to calculate a graduation rate. Such a school would be unfairly treated under the full 1600-1700 point evaluation for high schools.
When combining high schools from the DOE’s two databases, the percentage of A charter high schools drops from 63 to 55. When A and B grades are combined, district high schools lead 78 percent to 66 percent.
Among all school grades, with high schools now included, charters still lead with a higher concentration of A’s and F’s. (It should be noted that A charters outnumber F charters 6-to-1. It should also be noted that differences in the percentages of low-income students in charter schools versus district schools isn’t being considered here.)
Finally, charter high schools did not appear to benefit any more or less than district high schools from the state “safety net” provision that kept schools from dropping more than one letter grade. Continuing with the same trends observed earlier, charter schools (of all types, and now with the high schools factored in) benefited less from the grade protections than district schools.
240 Florida charter schools have opened and closed including about 8 already this year where do they rank on the list?
Hi Chris,
If the school is closed during the school 2012-13 school year then they wouldn’t receive a grade for the 2012-13 school year.
So we just pretend they didn’t exist? They don’t factor into your stats at all? How about this, assume they all made F grades add them in and then see if your numbers are as rosy.
Hi Chris,
Once a school is closed it literally does not exist anymore. It would be quite silly to grade closed schools on student achievement and student graduation rates when they have no students.
“It should also be noted that differences in the percentages of low-income students in charter schools versus district schools isn’t being considered here.”
Go back and get the numbers so there will be a meaningful reference point. Anything else is pointless.
Here is a link to the list of the 250 charter schools that have failed. What is silly is thinking the way Florida does charter schools is for children.
https://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/Information/Charter_Schools/files/closed_charter_schools.pdf
Hi Chis,
Your fascination with closed schools makes it seem like you want bad schools to remain open. We will have to disagree with you on that.
Christel House Charter Schol was supposed to be an A rated school as well. We know how that ended up….See Tony Bennett.
These school grades are meaningless and parents know it.
[…] You can be sure that the state’s charter school cheerleaders at redifinED will be trumpeting this Brookings Institute Report that gives Florida a “C” for “limited choice options.” Why it was just last week that Patrick Gibbons was reporting that the state’s charter high schools were outperforming public schools. […]
[…] You can be sure that the state’s charter school cheerleaders at redifinED will be trumpeting this Brookings Institute Report that gives Florida a “C” for “limited choice options.” Why it was just last week that Patrick Gibbons was reporting that the state’s charter high schools were outperforming public schools. […]
[…] You can be sure that the state’s charter school cheerleaders at redifinED will be trumpeting this Brookings Institute Report that gives Florida a “C” for “limited choice options.” Why it was just last week that Patrick Gibbons was reporting that the state’s charter high schools were outperforming public schools. […]