Urban charter school students in Massachusetts earn higher test scores and are more likely to enroll in college and earn a degree, compared to students whose parents applied but lost the lottery, reports a new study, Diverse Paths to College Success. The charter students, who were primarily from Black or Hispanic and lower-income families, were more likely to take AP and SAT exams, and earned higher scores.
By contrast, nonurban charter students in the state earned lower test scores and took fewer AP courses -- but they were significantly more likely to enroll in college. Nonurban charter students were primarily white.
"Many urban charter schools feature longer school days and school years, a culture of high expectations, frequent teacher observations and feedback, data-driven instruction, use of tutoring, and strict disciplinary practices, practices which are often referred to as 'No Excuses',” researchers wrote.
Compared to students in traditional public schools, urban charter students are much more likely to be black or Hispanic (81 percent) compared to noncharter students (51 percent), and somewhat more likely to qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch (73 percent vs. 64 percent). Students who apply for charter lotteries have similar test scores to those who don't: Both are below the state average in math and reading.
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