Examining a Decade of Reading and Mathematics Student Achievement Among Primary and Secondary Traditional Public School and Charter School Students: a Meta-Analytic Investigation

Over the last decade, the focus on student achievement in America’s public schools has dramatically increased. The pressure to perform and show growth in student achievement has been challenging due to increased levels of competition through school choice across the nation. Charter schools are one of the most recent education reform movements designed to increase accountability, innovation, and competition. Since the adoption of the first charter law was passed in Minnesota in 1991, the number of charter schools has grown rapidly across the nation. “Charter schools have recast the definition of public school and have presented the field of education with its greatest challenge” (Murphy & Dunn, 2002, p. 1).

According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, there are currently over 5,000 charter schools that operate in 42 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 1.6 million students (“Charter schools 101:,” 2012). Students across the country have the option to attend charter schools or remain in the home school district.

Parents and students are challenged to make a choice of which educational avenue is best for their family and must weigh all of the advantages and disadvantages to see which may produce the greatest outcomes and meet the needs of a diverse student population.

The current investigation synthesizes numerous studies conducted across the nation at the elementary, middle and high school level. Meta-analytic techniques assist parents and educators in making evidence-based decisions while adding to the research supporting educational reform and promoting best practices in both educational models. This study was specifically designed to consider a number of variables in charter schools relative to traditional public schools, including socioeconomic status, English Language Learning, school competition, and eligibility for special education that may impact student mathematics and reading achievement. Analysis revealed that charter schools are producing lower achievement scores in reading and mathematics when compared to traditional public schools.