CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online From UNO:
The Chicago Public School's Office of New Schools has released the 2006-2007 Charter School Performance Report illustrating the efficiency of UNO Charter Schools in servicing their communities and providing quality choices to the families of the neighborhoods they serve.
The average statistics of all six of UNO's current campuses surpass those of other "comparable" schools within the Chicago School District 299 including charter schools.
Student Demographics
- Average Student Teacher Ratio: 21.6/1
- Student Enrollment 2006-2007: 1,779
- 77.9% Latino
- 20% African American
- 1.1% White
- 94.3% Low Income
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Thu May 8, 2008 at 1:58 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
On December 12, 2007 I and another staff member from Access Living met with ONS and Mr. Edelman about data related to students with disabilities to be used in a report we are developing. During the course of the discussion we got the clear impression that Mr. Edelman wanted to promote greater transparency on achievement issues for students with disabilities in charters and Renaissance 2010 schools. I must admit that I was somewhat surprised to discover that the 2006-2007 ONS charter school performance report did not provide subgroup data of any type, be it by race, sex, or disability status.
Really the only disability related information in the report is the percentage of students with disabilities in each charter school. While in some cases these charters have limited numbers of students with disabilities and their data is suppressed by ISBE rules there are other charter schools who do have data for students with disabilities appearing in their school report cards. As I have said repeatedly on this blog overall these performance scores for students with disabilities are not much different than for traditional CPS schools. There are however, exceptions where some charters are doing better than others for their students with disabilities and parents considering this option for their children with disabilities should have this information.
The other issue that jumped out at me was the data for these charters on the transfer out rate. First off it should be known that CPS ONS through its data system actually knows if the transferred out students are leaving the school district or transferring to a traditional CPS school. This information is not provided, it is however provided in the ISBE annual report on all charters in the state. The information presented is for a one year transfer rate which is in addition to the high school drop out rate.
There are some very high numbers for some charter high schools.
For example the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Tech Charter had a yearly transfer out rate of 15.4% with an additional 9.2% drop outs. This indicates that just under a quarter of the schools students are leaving each year.
Aspira had a yearly combined transfer and drop out rate of 18.8%.
CICS high schools had a yearly combined transfer and drop out rate of 13.3%
Shabazz had a yearly combined transfer and drop out rate of 17.7%.
Urban Prep had a yearly combined transfer and drop out rate of 13.8% with most of these students transferring.
Young Women’s had a yearly combined transfer and drop out rate of 16.9%
Just to be fair we should note how good Nobel St. looked on this data with a combined rate of only 2.9%. But it is important to note these numbers when we next hear talk of wait lists for charter schools, there may be wait lists for freshmen, but some charters are operating far from capacity due to transfers and drop outs.
In relation to this issue in the RAND report at page 17 we learn that between 1998 and 2002 there were 978 charter school 8th graders. Over the same period there were 2,090 charter school 9th graders. This indicates that only 48% of charter elementary school graduates opted to enter a charter high school. Clearly there were enough slots to adsorb more of these charter elementary graduates than went to charter high schools. It appears that significant numbers of families opted out of the charter system in favor of traditional public high schools, including selective ones.
The other interesting data from the RAND report relevant to this charter transfer issue appears on page 18. RAND for its analysis established what it called a treatment group of charter students and a comparison group of traditional school students. There were 474 charter school students in the charter treatment group of these students 128 transferred to traditional CPS schools during the study, which is about 27%. There were 523 students in the comparisons group of which only 7 transferred to charter schools, which is only 1%. What exactly that means I am not sure, but I thought folks would be interested.
Rod Estvan
Access Living
Really the only disability related information in the report is the percentage of students with disabilities in each charter school. While in some cases these charters have limited numbers of students with disabilities and their data is suppressed by ISBE rules there are other charter schools who do have data for students with disabilities appearing in their school report cards. As I have said repeatedly on this blog overall these performance scores for students with disabilities are not much different than for traditional CPS schools. There are however, exceptions where some charters are doing better than others for their students with disabilities and parents considering this option for their children with disabilities should have this information.
The other issue that jumped out at me was the data for these charters on the transfer out rate. First off it should be known that CPS ONS through its data system actually knows if the transferred out students are leaving the school district or transferring to a traditional CPS school. This information is not provided, it is however provided in the ISBE annual report on all charters in the state. The information presented is for a one year transfer rate which is in addition to the high school drop out rate.
There are some very high numbers for some charter high schools.
For example the Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Tech Charter had a yearly transfer out rate of 15.4% with an additional 9.2% drop outs. This indicates that just under a quarter of the schools students are leaving each year.
Aspira had a yearly combined transfer and drop out rate of 18.8%.
CICS high schools had a yearly combined transfer and drop out rate of 13.3%
Shabazz had a yearly combined transfer and drop out rate of 17.7%.
Urban Prep had a yearly combined transfer and drop out rate of 13.8% with most of these students transferring.
Young Women’s had a yearly combined transfer and drop out rate of 16.9%
Just to be fair we should note how good Nobel St. looked on this data with a combined rate of only 2.9%. But it is important to note these numbers when we next hear talk of wait lists for charter schools, there may be wait lists for freshmen, but some charters are operating far from capacity due to transfers and drop outs.
In relation to this issue in the RAND report at page 17 we learn that between 1998 and 2002 there were 978 charter school 8th graders. Over the same period there were 2,090 charter school 9th graders. This indicates that only 48% of charter elementary school graduates opted to enter a charter high school. Clearly there were enough slots to adsorb more of these charter elementary graduates than went to charter high schools. It appears that significant numbers of families opted out of the charter system in favor of traditional public high schools, including selective ones.
The other interesting data from the RAND report relevant to this charter transfer issue appears on page 18. RAND for its analysis established what it called a treatment group of charter students and a comparison group of traditional school students. There were 474 charter school students in the charter treatment group of these students 128 transferred to traditional CPS schools during the study, which is about 27%. There were 523 students in the comparisons group of which only 7 transferred to charter schools, which is only 1%. What exactly that means I am not sure, but I thought folks would be interested.
Rod Estvan
Access Living
Thu May 8, 2008 at 6:57 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
No reason to give UNO a "pat on the back". They'll do it themselves!! There is also an error in the data for the Fuentes school. Their attendance rate is lower than the compared schools. So the information in the report is not accurate. 94.9 is less than 95.1...Sorry Juan!!
Thu May 8, 2008 at 7:42 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
I am shocked by what I am reading
Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Tech Charter had a yearly transfer out rate of 15.4% with an additional 9.2% drop outs. This indicates that just under a quarter of the schools students are leaving each year.
I looked up Hyde Parks and it was 9.4 last year.
That is being a receiving school for closed Englewood and Calumet.
Imagine if we had the resources and support!
Go Thunderbirds!
Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Tech Charter had a yearly transfer out rate of 15.4% with an additional 9.2% drop outs. This indicates that just under a quarter of the schools students are leaving each year.
I looked up Hyde Parks and it was 9.4 last year.
That is being a receiving school for closed Englewood and Calumet.
Imagine if we had the resources and support!
Go Thunderbirds!
Thu May 8, 2008 at 7:45 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Wow! UNO misses something by .2 %. Big deal! I think "Just say" has missed an important point about charters. They inspire competition among other public schools which has never existed. Now, everyone wins! Good Job UNO. Just say "Si" to Charter Schools!
Thu May 8, 2008 at 8:24 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Holy craperoo!
94.6% attendance rate
What are the brilliant minds at UNO doing to get these kids to walk in the door each morning? How does UNO make that happen? Do they do wake up calls? Distribute alarm clocks? Knock on doors? Or do UNO students, disadvantaged as they are, more likely have parents who care enough about education to seek out and pursue education options?
21.6:1 student to teacher ratio
That is truly impressive. My school's ratio is darn near double UNO's. Now if only CPS would cap enrollment for our building and provide funding for an equally low staff ratio.
If competition is as wonderful as Just Say "Si" claims, it is perfectly reasonable for comparable schools to demand equitable conditions. But that would result in a fair contest. And no one in CPS seems interested in that type of scenario.
94.6% attendance rate
What are the brilliant minds at UNO doing to get these kids to walk in the door each morning? How does UNO make that happen? Do they do wake up calls? Distribute alarm clocks? Knock on doors? Or do UNO students, disadvantaged as they are, more likely have parents who care enough about education to seek out and pursue education options?
21.6:1 student to teacher ratio
That is truly impressive. My school's ratio is darn near double UNO's. Now if only CPS would cap enrollment for our building and provide funding for an equally low staff ratio.
If competition is as wonderful as Just Say "Si" claims, it is perfectly reasonable for comparable schools to demand equitable conditions. But that would result in a fair contest. And no one in CPS seems interested in that type of scenario.
Thu May 8, 2008 at 11:23 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Great post. Read it at work. Don't like to post from the job. I wanted to say that the charters have a lower teacher to studnet ratio and I think comparing them to neighborhood schools is NOT fair. My son's third grade classroom has 36 students and the teacher is amazing and I bet the scores have dropped for her but not significantly. I wonder if she had half (18 students) would the scores have been better. Time will tell and the scores will be out soon!!
Thu May 8, 2008 at 11:38 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Link to a rape at a CICS campus
http://www.nbc5.com/news/16207896/detail.html?dl=headlineclick
http://www.nbc5.com/news/16207896/detail.html?dl=headlineclick
Fri May 9, 2008 at 6:16 AM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
I worked at UNO and never had 21 kids in my class room, unless it was a snowing and the buses couldn't get through!! Try 28-31 kids in the rooms. Paz has a rating of 0% in student performance. That's very impressive!!
Can't wait to see what someone from UNO writes next!
Can't wait to see what someone from UNO writes next!
Fri May 9, 2008 at 9:22 AM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Rod: It's Noble Street, not Nobel Street. However, I do agree with you. If they take this long to publish this report they should have data split by the important demographic information. If we're going to compare apples to apples this kind of information is vital.
Everyone else: Student to teacher ratio is not the same as class size. Especially if you're talking about middle schools where students have different teachers for every subject or high schools. The student to teacher ratio at one of these schools will be much lower than a school where students are with the same teacher all day. If you have 56 students in a 6th grade that is split into two classes that has different teachers for Math, Science, English and Social students, your student to teacher ratio would be 14:1, but your class size would be 28. So it is very possible that UNO has a student to teacher ratio of 21, but still has class sizes of 28 or higher.
Everyone else: Student to teacher ratio is not the same as class size. Especially if you're talking about middle schools where students have different teachers for every subject or high schools. The student to teacher ratio at one of these schools will be much lower than a school where students are with the same teacher all day. If you have 56 students in a 6th grade that is split into two classes that has different teachers for Math, Science, English and Social students, your student to teacher ratio would be 14:1, but your class size would be 28. So it is very possible that UNO has a student to teacher ratio of 21, but still has class sizes of 28 or higher.
Fri May 9, 2008 at 6:51 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Dear WHAT???
Considering UNO's reputation for firing bad teachers, I can understand if you "worked at UNO" but are no longer employed by them. The good ones who love the challenge are still here and so am I!
Considering UNO's reputation for firing bad teachers, I can understand if you "worked at UNO" but are no longer employed by them. The good ones who love the challenge are still here and so am I!
Fri May 9, 2008 at 9:46 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Yes, anyone who disagrees with you must be a bad teacher. Why do you have to slur others instead of engaging their points?
Shouldn't we model better for our students?
Shouldn't we model better for our students?
Fri May 9, 2008 at 10:18 PM
CTU Budget Under Fire
Is it true that Marilyn is breaking the Union Constitution and By-laws?
Fri May 9, 2008 at 11:40 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Charter schools I have visited don't even tell the Board when large numbers kids have left their schools; why would I thnk their 'attendance' rates are any more accurate than their 'membership'?
Mon May 12, 2008 at 9:58 AM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
i heard that the stats are skewed... charters are actually doing considerably better than what the report says. Despite angry diatribes about what a charter school is or is not. I personally think they are doing a great job for our youth, i think i will be enrolling my soon in one next year. why so much hate toward the charter movement? is it the whole union thing? LSC's? or just because they outperform local CPS schools?
Mon May 12, 2008 at 10:52 AM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
The statistics contained in the ONS report are not particularly bad. In fact they are very similar to the data coming from Washington DC, Philly, and other cities with numerous charter schools. As a group they are doing about the same as the average public school in the district as various studies have shown, some are better and some are worse than the average.
The question is cost effectiveness, are the charters worth the investment. Right now apparently both the Mayor and Board believe the cost does over come the benefit. There is one very odd dvelopment that goes beyond just looking at charters and the public sector, that is how are they impacting Catholic Schools. The Alliance for Catholic Education at University of Notre Dame sees charters in Chicago and elsewhere as a threat to urban Catholic schools. (see article in Ed Week Feb 13, 2008)
There seems to be a link between increases in urban charters and the closing of urban Catholic schools. For example in Michigan we know that Catholic schools are losing one student for every three that charters gain. This development is directly linked to the increasing cost of Catholic education. I do not know of a study done of the relationship between charter growth and Catholic school decline in Chicago.
One thing is becoming clearer that is charters are becoming more widely known in Chicago as an option for low income families. Hence we will be seeing more incidents similar to the one that took place at the CICS school involving the sexual assult because the charters are drawing in more maladjusted and emotionally disturbed students from fractured family units.
Eventually, some charters will even on the level of order, structure, safety, begin to look more like the schools tradtional public schools. The lower the social economic status the particular charter draws its students from the less it will appear to be a safe haven for functional low income families. These more organized families who in turn have generally higher performing children will flee and seek other charters precevied as more orderly and having fewer of "those kids." Many of "those" kids will test at clinically significant levels for things like oppositional defiant disorder and ADHD.
Charters will not be able to push numerous students out who exhibit socially unacceptable behaviors, because the CPS will have no where else for them to go because of closings and expansion of optional schools. The things change the more they stay the same.
The question is cost effectiveness, are the charters worth the investment. Right now apparently both the Mayor and Board believe the cost does over come the benefit. There is one very odd dvelopment that goes beyond just looking at charters and the public sector, that is how are they impacting Catholic Schools. The Alliance for Catholic Education at University of Notre Dame sees charters in Chicago and elsewhere as a threat to urban Catholic schools. (see article in Ed Week Feb 13, 2008)
There seems to be a link between increases in urban charters and the closing of urban Catholic schools. For example in Michigan we know that Catholic schools are losing one student for every three that charters gain. This development is directly linked to the increasing cost of Catholic education. I do not know of a study done of the relationship between charter growth and Catholic school decline in Chicago.
One thing is becoming clearer that is charters are becoming more widely known in Chicago as an option for low income families. Hence we will be seeing more incidents similar to the one that took place at the CICS school involving the sexual assult because the charters are drawing in more maladjusted and emotionally disturbed students from fractured family units.
Eventually, some charters will even on the level of order, structure, safety, begin to look more like the schools tradtional public schools. The lower the social economic status the particular charter draws its students from the less it will appear to be a safe haven for functional low income families. These more organized families who in turn have generally higher performing children will flee and seek other charters precevied as more orderly and having fewer of "those kids." Many of "those" kids will test at clinically significant levels for things like oppositional defiant disorder and ADHD.
Charters will not be able to push numerous students out who exhibit socially unacceptable behaviors, because the CPS will have no where else for them to go because of closings and expansion of optional schools. The things change the more they stay the same.
Tue May 13, 2008 at 7:44 AM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
According to the Illinois State Board OF Education "ILLINOIS CHARTER SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT -JANUARY 2008", five out of nine CPS charter high schools with at least an eleventh grade in the 2006-2007 school year had a higher drop out rate than the CPS District rate of 8.3%: Youth Connections-46.5%, Aspira-9.5%, Young Women's-9.4%, ACE Tech-9.3%,Chicago International-6.3%, The Academy-4.2%, Perspectives-3.6%, North Lawndale-3.2% and Noble Street-0.7%. The percentage of students leaving or not returning for these schools are as follows: The Academy-17%, ACE Tech-12%, Aspira-6%, Chicago International-7%, Noble Street-13%, North Lawndale-12%, Perspectives-15%, Young Women's-16% and Youth Connections-13%. The students with disabilities rates for these schools are as follows: The Academy-14%, ACE Tech-19%, Aspira-11%, Chicago International-12%, Noble Street-12%, North Lawndale-15%, Perspectivies-14%, Young Women's-14% and Youth Connections-10%. According to the Charter Schools Law in effect for 2006-2007, beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, at least 50% of the instructional staff in Chicago charter schools established after July 2003 shall hold teaching certificates. In the 2006-2007 school year, the minimum number of certified instructional staff increases to 75%. Here are the instructional staff certification rates for these charter schools: THE ACADEMY-71%, ACE Tech-100%, Aspira-85%, Chicago International-86%, Noble street-87%, NORTH LAWNDALE-65%, PERSPECTIVES- 49%, Young Women's-91% and Youth Connections-80%. ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE CERTICATION OR PARTICULAR QUALIFICATIONS!!!!!!!!!! Here are the administrative staff certification rates for these schools: The Academy-50%, ACE Tech-.09%, Aspira-80%, Chicago International-78%, Noble Street-10%, North Lawndale-33%, Perspectives-65%, Young Women's-0% and Youth Connections-13%!!!!!!!!!! Here are the Chicago charter high schools not making AYP: The Academy, ACE Tech, Aspira, Chicago International, Noble Street, North Lawndale, Perspectives, Young Women's and Youth Connections. Here are the Chicago charter high schools that have been identified for school improvement: The Academy, Aspira, Chicago International, North Lawndale, Perspectives, Young Women's and Youth Connections. Here are the Federal Improvement Status for these high schools: The Academy-Restructuring, Aspira-Choice, Chicago International-Restructuring Implementation, North Lawndale-Restructuring Implementation, Young Women's-Choice and Youth Connections-Restructuring Implementation. Here are the State improvement status for these high schools: The Academy-Academic Watch, Aspira-Academic Early warning, Chicago International-Academic Watch, North Lawndale-Academic Watch, Young Women's-Academic Watch and Youth Connections-Academic Watch. P.S.- I see why CPS had the RAND Report released on May 7, 2008!!!!!!!!!!
Tue May 13, 2008 at 8:38 AM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
INCREDIBLE, SO WHY IT THIS NOT PUBLISHED IN
THE SUNTIMES / TRIBUNE AND OTHER PUBLIC
WRITTEN ARTICLES, INCLUDING SHARED AT A
BOARD MEETING WHERE THEY VOTE ON THESE
SCHOOLS AND SHARE HOW GREAT THEY ARE.
THE SUNTIMES / TRIBUNE AND OTHER PUBLIC
WRITTEN ARTICLES, INCLUDING SHARED AT A
BOARD MEETING WHERE THEY VOTE ON THESE
SCHOOLS AND SHARE HOW GREAT THEY ARE.
Tue May 13, 2008 at 8:49 AM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Because, CPS wants to keep this under their hat!
Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:26 AM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Retired Principal
Good job however each school seems to have a different idea of numbers.
Are those with single digit drop out rates cumulative?
Good job however each school seems to have a different idea of numbers.
Are those with single digit drop out rates cumulative?
Tue May 13, 2008 at 12:05 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
A couple of corrections, or at the very least, questions about Retired Principal's numbers.
First of all, he states that 5 out of 9 charter schools have a higher drop out rate than CPS, I only count four (4).
He says that at Perspectives Charter Schools only 49% of teachers are certified. My first question is, where is this information from? According to the 2007 ISBE State Report Card, 77.5% of all classes are taught by "highly qualified teachers."
Retired Principal also states that Perspectives Charter Schools did not make AYP and that Perspectives has been identified for school improvement. However, regardless of how many campuses a charter is operating or what grades are in that school, the state lumps all of the data together into one report card for the purpose of determining AYP. By the state's measure (aka, the only one that counts for AYP) Perspectives has made AYP for the last two years and is no longer on the school improvement list. Feel free to look at the last page of the state report card or the last two CPS High School ScoreCards, both of which clearly state that Perspectives has made AYP.
I would urge everyone to look into the other numbers presented by Retired Principal before simply taking them at face value.
First of all, he states that 5 out of 9 charter schools have a higher drop out rate than CPS, I only count four (4).
He says that at Perspectives Charter Schools only 49% of teachers are certified. My first question is, where is this information from? According to the 2007 ISBE State Report Card, 77.5% of all classes are taught by "highly qualified teachers."
Retired Principal also states that Perspectives Charter Schools did not make AYP and that Perspectives has been identified for school improvement. However, regardless of how many campuses a charter is operating or what grades are in that school, the state lumps all of the data together into one report card for the purpose of determining AYP. By the state's measure (aka, the only one that counts for AYP) Perspectives has made AYP for the last two years and is no longer on the school improvement list. Feel free to look at the last page of the state report card or the last two CPS High School ScoreCards, both of which clearly state that Perspectives has made AYP.
I would urge everyone to look into the other numbers presented by Retired Principal before simply taking them at face value.
Tue May 13, 2008 at 12:23 PM
CPS Charter Schools Performance Report Now Online
Zach, correction, it should read four out of nine. All of this information is in the "Illinois Chapter School Annual Report-January 2008" located on the Illinois State Board Of Education Website!!!!!!!!!! Look at it yourself!
