A snapshot of public charter schools

Friends of Choice in Urban Schools (FOCUS) is now the DC Charter School Alliance!

Please visit www.dccharters.org to learn about our new organization and to see the latest news and information related to DC charter schools.

The FOCUS DC website is online to see historic information, but is not actively updated.
The Washington Times
A snapshot of public charter schools
Monday, November 16, 2009
The national demand for public charter schools remains strongest in urban areas, according to a new report by the D.C.-based National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

The report, which used audited enrollments from school year 2008-09, also found:

• New Orleans remains No. 1 in market-share percentage: Not only are New Orleans charters serving the highest percentage of public school students - 57 percent - but they are also the highest-performing sector of public schools in the city. The city's public schools as a whole are outperforming the pre-Hurricane Katrina system.

• Charter growth remains strong: There are 14 communities where more than 20 percent of public-school students are enrolled in charters, up from six in 2005-06. Seventy-two communities have at least 10 percent of public-school students in charter schools, 27 more than three years ago.

• Ten school districts enroll 22 percent of charter students: The 10 districts with the largest number of charter students represent 22 percent of the nationwide public charter population - 304,494 students out of roughly 1.4 million.

• More than one-third of public school students are in charters in three cities: Detroit at 32 percent, D.C. at 36 percent and New Orleans at 57 percent.

• The top 10 charters with the largest market share: New Orleans, 57 percent; Washington, 36 percent; Detroit, 32 percent; Kansas City, Mo., 29 percent; Dayton, Ohio, 27 percent; Youngstown, Ohio, 26 percent; St. Louis, Mo., 25 percent; Flint, Mich., 24 percent; Gary, Ind., 23 percent; Phoenix Union High School District in Ariz., 22 percent; and Minneapolis, Minn., 22 percent.

• The top 10 communities with the greatest number of students enrolled in public charters: Los Angeles, 59,122; Detroit, 43,035; Philadelphia, 32,579; Houston, 29,889; Chicago, 28,973; Washington, 25,729; Miami-Dade County, 23,865; New York, 21,367; New Orleans, 20,068; and Broward County, Fla., 19,867.
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