Student Results / Overview

CHARTER SCHOOL VERSUS public school ACADEMIC GROWTH

Among our results, we found students have stronger learning among charter school versus public school students. Our evidence shows how successful, diverse schools deliver critical proof points of ways to improve outcomes for students and pave the road ahead.

Explore student results

Before you begin

Learn more about our 180 Days of Learning metric.

Historical trend

Discover how academic growth has stacked up in the past.

Multi-state results

See how charter school students compare to traditional public school (TPS) students.

CMO study

Discover the nationwide impact of charter schools on student academic progress over time.

Discover key findings

Charter school students have an average of 16 more days of learning in reading and 6 more days in math in a school year compared to their matched peers in TPS.

Students in poverty, Black and Hispanic students in charter schools have stronger growth than their TPS peers. But, gains are not equal to their white peers, creating learning gaps for many students.

Across our three national charter school studies, annual charter student learning in reading has risen by 22 days; math learning has increased by 23 days.

Compared to TPS, students enrolled in CMO-affiliated schools progress in their learning in reading by 27 extra days in a year and math by 23 extra days. Stand-alone charter schools (SCSes) also outpace their TPS peers in reading by 10 extra days of learning a year; math progress was equivalent.

Students receiving special education services who attend charter schools have smaller learning gains than their matched peers in TPS.

Across the 31 states in the study, the spread between the state with the best learning result and the worst outcome is 109 days of learning in reading and 120 days in math.

Explore the written reports

STUDY I – 2009 National
Charter School Study

STUDY II – 2013 National
Charter School Study

STUDY III – 2023 National
Charter School Study