By Leah Fabel
March 18, 2009
Enrollment in Washington, D.C., charter schools jumped by 17 percent in the past year as the number of students declined by nearly 9 percent in D.C. Public Schools.
The city’s 60 charter schools have attracted nearly 26,000 students, up from about 22,000 in 2007-08 and accounting for more than one-third of all publicly educated students in the District. The enrollment increase is the largest the schools have seen in eight years; charters have existed in the District for almost 13 years.
A December analysis by The Washington Post found that, while not all D.C. charter schools outperform regular city schools, charter students on the whole score higher on standardized tests than their non-charter peers.
Among middle schoolers, charter students scored 13 percent higher, on average, on the city"s standardized tests.
An analysis of low-income students specifically found that those attending charters scored consistently higher on national assessments of both reading and math.
Compared to nationwide averages, however, both charter- and regular-school students in D.C. lag behind their peers.
Enrollment trends overall correlate with trends among special education students and English language learners. Enrollment among special education students fell by 11 percent in regular schools while it rose by 12 percent in charters. English language learners increased by 4 percent to 4,300 students in regular schools, but swelled by 31 percent to 1,600 students in charter schools.
Robert Cane, executive director of D.C.-based Friends of Choice in Urban Schools, praised the trend and cited it as evidence for charter expansion.
“Charters’ 36 percent share of public school students underestimates their popularity among parents as thousands of children enrolled in city-run schools are on waiting lists trying to get into charters,” Cane said.
D.C. schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee has been a supporter of charters in the city, as well. She could not be reached for comment Wednesday.