First launched in the 1990s, charter schools are a growing component of the U.S. public school system. As of November 2009, more than 5,000 charter schools were serving over 1.5 million students across the country – approximately three percent of all public school students. These schools are intended to play a vital role in various school improvement initiatives and often utilize flexible staffing models and innovative student schedules to achieve these goals. Moreover, there has been a heightened interest in the innovative approaches utilized around the use of school time coming from the charter school sector, where expansion beyond the conventional school schedule appears to be the norm. The following research highlights this increased inquiry into the use of time in charter schools.
Key Sources:
► Abdulkadiroglu, A., Angrist, J., Cohodes, S., Dynarski, S., Fullerton, J., Kane, T., and Pathak, P. (2009). Informing the debate: Comparing Boston’s charter, pilot and traditional schools. Boston, MA: The Boston Foundation. (PDF)
Provides a comprehensive analysis of student achievement in Boston’s charter, pilot, and traditional schools. Authors find large positive effects for charter schools, at both the middle and high school levels. For each year of middle school attendance, the authors find that charter schools raise student achievement .09 to.17 standard deviations in English Language Arts and .18 to .54 standard deviations in math rabout those same metrics traditional schools. Bearing in mind that increasing performance by .5 standard deviations is the same as moving from the 50th to the 69th percentile in student performance, the authors explain that this gain cuts the size of the African American-Caucasian achievement gap in half.
► Bowles Therriault, S., Gruner Gandhi, A., Casasanto, J. and Carney, S. (2010). Out of the debate and into the schools; Comparing practices and strategies in traditional, pilot and charter schools in the city of Boston. Boston, MA: The Boston Foundation. (PDF)
Building on the 2009 American Institutes of Research (AIR) study of charter, pilot, and traditional schools, this follow-up study investigates the obvious variation in student outcomes in the three types of schools. Using a variety of methods, the researchers determine that the autonomies afforded to charter schools allow for more innovative practices including the addition of 378 hours, or the equivalent of 62 days, to the school year, which may ultimately contribute to their higher student achievement.
► Clark Tuttle, C., The, B., Nichols-Barrer, I., Gill, B.P., & Gleason, P. (2010). Student characteristics and achievement in 22 KIPP middle schools. Washington, D.C.: Mathematica Policy Research. Retrieved August 25, 2010. (PDF)
This evaluation includes both experimental and quasi-experimental components designed to examine how enrollment in KIPP charter schools impacts student achievement and college readiness. KIPP students, on average, spend sixty percent more time in school than their peers at traditional district schools. The authors find evidence that after three years of schooling at KIPP, many students experience achievement effects that are equivalent to approximately an additional year of instruction; enough to substantially reduce race- and income-based achievement gaps.
► Fryer, R. and Dobbie, W. (2009, April). Are high-quality schools enough to close the achievement gap? Evidence from a bold social experiment in Harlem. Unpublished manuscript. (PDF)
Utilizes various methodologies, including a randomized control sample to test the impact of the Harelm Childrens Zone’s charter middle school, Promise Academy. Researchers find that the school demonstrated outstanding success in enabling African American children to achieve at high levels and close the achievement gap with their Caucasian peers. Promise Academy provides up to twice as much learning time as the typical NYC school, through an extended day and year schedule and supplementary tutoring.
► Hollingsworth, Piel & Wechtenhiser, Kim. (2009). Expanded Learning Time: Making Every Minute Matter at Boston Preparatory Charter Public School and Other Charter Schools in Massachusetts. Retrieved March 24, 2011. (PDF)
This report outlines the key components of a longer school day and/or year in nine Massachusetts charter public schools including Boston Preparatory as the most prominent example. The authors highlight the schools’ ability to integrate partners into the school day and their creative staffing models.
► Hoxby, C. M., Murarka, S. and Kang, J. (2009, September). How New York City’s charter schools affect achievement, August 2009 Report. Second report in series. Cambridge, MA: New York City Charter Schools Evaluation Project. (PDF)
Expplores the effects on student achievement of attending a New York City charter school rather than a traditional public school. Author also outlines the characteristics of these charter schools associated with the most positive effects on achievement. Using a randomized sample, finds that charter students not only outperformed their district peers, but that the strongest predictor of high student performance among these schools is a longer school year.
► Merseth, K. et al. (2009). Inside urban charter schools: Promising practices and strategies in five high-performing schools. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press. (PDF)
Profiles five high-performing urban charter schools serving predominantly low-income, minority students in Massachusetts. Through interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations over a two year period finds that these schools excelled in their structural organization – including innovative use of time – along with human resource strategies, elevated school culture, and clarity of mission.
The National Center on Time & Learning has compiled a database of expanded-time schools, hundreds of which are charter schools, which can be located here.
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