Washington, D.C. A new report jointly released today by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and Thomas B. Fordham Institute shows that public charter schools in many states are substantially restricted from offering pre-K programs mainly because of policymaking and financial limitations.
The study, Pre-K and Charter Schools: Where State Policies Create Barriers to Collaboration, examines state policies in 36 jurisdictions that create restrictions for charter schools to offer state-funded pre-K programs, and also outlines policy recommendations on federal and state policies to allow more high-quality charter schools to offer preschools.
Some key findings:
Thirteen states lack either charter school laws or state pre-K programs
Nine states have laws that effectively prohibit charter schools from offering pre-K
Thirty-seven states and Washington, D.C., have state-funded pre-K andcharter school laws. Of those, 32 have at least one charter school serving preschoolers
“Charter schools have shown tremendous progress in improving the educational path of many low-income students, minority students and English-language learners. By allowing them access to pre-K funding streams, charter schools can have an even greater impact on the students they serve. In communities where charter schools have access to early learning dollars, like Washington, D.C., charter schools have also been able to come up with new and innovative approaches to teaching and engaging students,” said Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
The report also includes a map that shows states with the most hospitable environment for a charter school to offer pre-K education and which states dont. The results are below:
Seven jurisdictions are hospitable: Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Maine, Wisconsin,Connecticut and Washington, D.C
Sixteen states are somewhat hospitable: Michigan, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado and Maryland
Thirteen states are not hospitable:including Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina,Ohio and Indiana
In states that allow charter schools to offer pre-K, the schools still face several roadblocks, such as limited pre-K funding, programs that are too small to serve the entire population of eligible students, and restrictions on new providers. Also, charter schools are often barred from automatically enrolling pre-K students into kindergarten programs without first administering a lottery for enrollment.
“We need both: more high-quality charter schools and better pre-Kschools. But we also need modified state policies and more funding for charter schoolsto be able to offer pre-K, which will ultimately benefit many children in need,” Rees added.
About Public Charter Schools
Public charter schools are independent, public, and tuition-free schools that are given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Since 2010, manyresearch studieshavefound that students in charter schools do better in school than their traditional school peers. For example, one study by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University found that charter schools do a better job teaching low income students, minority students, and students who are still learning English than traditional schools. Separate studies by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood.About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visitwww.publiccharters.org.
