Charter schools in Texas

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Charter schools in Texas are public schools operated independently of public school systems, either by nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Although they are largely publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As public schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or impose special entrance requirements; students are usually admitted through a lottery process if demand exceeds the number of spaces available in a school. Charter schools generally receive a percentage of the per-pupil funds from the state and local school districts for operational costs based on enrollment. In most states, charter schools do not receive funds for facilities or start-up costs; therefore, they must rely to some extent on private donations. The federal government also provides revenues through special grants. As of March 2017, 44 states and the District of Columbia had approved legislation authorizing the creation of public charter schools. Six states had not.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 723 total charter schools in Texas in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 282,900 students.
  • Overall, charter school students accounted for 5.39 percent of total public school enrollment in Texas in 2015.
  • The Texas State Legislature approved the state's charter school law in 1995.

    • Background

    History

    The Texas State Legislature approved Texas' charter school law in 1995.

    The concept of creating public charter schools as alternatives to traditional public schools was first brought to public attention in the late 1980s by a small group of policymakers and educators. The notion gained traction in the early 1990s, and in 1991 Minnesota became the first state to pass a charter school law.[1]

    The National Conference of State Legislatures defines charter schools as follows:[2]

    “

    Charter schools are publicly funded, privately managed and semi-autonomous schools of choice. They do not charge tuition. They must hold to the same academic accountability measures as traditional schools. They receive public funding similarly to traditional schools. However, they have more freedom over their budgets, staffing, curricula and other operations. In exchange for this freedom, they must deliver academic results and there must be enough community demand for them to remain open.[3]

    		”
    —National Conference of State Legislatures

    Across the nation, charter schools have grown in number since the passage of the first public charter school law. As of March 2017, 44 states plus the District of Columbia had enacted charter school laws, and in 2013 it was estimated that 4.6 percent of all public school students attended charter schools. Performance results of charter schools nationally have been mixed, with some performing demonstrably better and others closing because they could not meet required standards.[2][4][5]

    Texas' law allows both the state and local school districts to authorize charter schools. However, there are different regulations depending on the type of authorizer. State-authorized charters have more clearly defined regulations and requirements than district-authorized charters, giving the latter more autonomy by comparison.[6]

    Participation

    According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 723 total charter schools in Texas in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 282,900 students. Overall, charter school students accounted for 5.39 percent of total public school enrollment in Texas in 2015.[7]

    Charter schools, 2015-2016
    State Total number of charter schools Estimated enrollment Percentage of total public school enrollment
    Texas 723 282,900 5.39%
    Louisiana 143 80,100 11.21%
    New Mexico 99 25,700 7.53%
    Oklahoma 35 20,000 2.92%
    United States total 6,824 2,930,600 5.85%
    Note: The percentages in the column labeled "Percentage of total public school enrollment" were calculated by taking the estimated number of charter school students in a given state and dividing by the total estimated number of public school students in that state in 2015. Total public school enrollment estimates came from the National Center for Education Statistics.
    Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016

    Demographics

    See also: Charter school demographics and Demographic information for all students in the United States

    The table below presents information about the race/ethnicity of charter school students in Texas in the 2013-2014 school year, as reported by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. To facilitate comparison, the same figures are also provided for all public school students.[8][9]

    Enrollments by ethnicity, 2013-2014 (as percentages)
    Data sample White Black Hispanic Asian Other
    Charter schools in Texas 16.0% 21.0% 58.0% 3.0% 2.0%
    Public schools in Texas 29.5% 12.7% 51.8% 3.7% 2.4%
    Charter schools in the U.S. 34.9% 27.1% 30.0% 4.1% 3.8%
    Public schools in the U.S. 50.3% 15.6% 24.8% 4.8% 4.4%
    Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 203.70. Percentage distribution of enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by race/ethnicity and state or jurisdiction: Fall 2003 and fall 2013," accessed June 7, 2016
    National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Charter Public School Movement: A State-by-State Analysis," March 2016

    State law

    Authorizers

    Charter school authorizers are, according to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), the organizations "designated to approve, monitor, renew, and, if necessary, close charter schools." NASCA has identified six primary types of charter school authorizers:[10]

    1. Higher education institutions (HEI)
    2. Independent charter boards (ICB)
    3. Local education agencies (LEA)
    4. Non-education government entities (NEG)
    5. Not-for-profit organizations (NFP)
    6. State education agencies

    The table below lists charter school authorizers in Texas as of June 2016. Click [show] to expand the table's contents.

    Enrollment regulations

    Texas law requires that all students who apply to a charter school must be granted admission, but may deny students who have been found guilty of criminal offenses or juvenile delinquency. Students may also have to fulfill additional requirements depending on the school's charter, such as an audition in a performing arts-based school. If the school does not have enough seats available, applicants are admitted based on a lottery system. Applicants who are not admitted after the lottery are then placed on a waiting list.[11]

    Funding

    Charter school financing differs from state to state, and even between districts within states. All district-authorized schools are financed by local school districts, while all state-authorized schools are financed by the state.[12]

    Accountability

    See also: Accountability measures for charter schools

    Although Texas law gives district-authorized charter schools more autonomy, there are still requirements that all charter schools must follow. For instance, all charter schools must create annual reports that include information on financial practices and academic performance. State-authorized schools are also subject to annual evaluations conducted by an impartial third-party organization. These schools must also secure transportation for all students in the charter school. District-authorized charters are not subject to the same requirements.[12]

    Charter school law rankings

    In January 2016, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released a report ranking all of the nation's charter school laws. Texas' law ranked 25 out of 43. The organization ranked each state's law by considering what it called "20 essential components of a strong charter school law." The table below compares Texas' score with that of neighboring states. To access the full report, including methodology, click here.[13]

    Charter school law rankings, January 2016
    State 2016 ranking 2015 ranking Ranking difference 2016 score 2015 score Score difference
    Texas 25 22 -3 137 137 0
    Louisiana 4 2 -2 167 167 0
    New Mexico 16 13 -3 150 150 0
    Oklahoma 19 36 17 147 112 35
    Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016

    Issues

    Debate

    Proponents of charter schools such as the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools argue that, due to their freedom from some state oversight and regulation, they can adopt more innovative educational approaches. This allows them to cater to their particular higher-risk school age populations, which are generally composed of more minority and poor students. In addition, advocates argue that charter schools empower parents and improve traditional public schools through competition.

    Meanwhile, critics such as Diane Ravitch argue that charter schools have not been proven to produce significantly higher levels of academic achievement as promised. It is difficult to find data comparable to traditional public schools. Critics also contend that charter schools divert funds from traditional public schools, which continue to enroll significant majorities of public school students, thereby compounding problems at failing schools and generating unequal outcomes for students.[14]

    Funding inequity

    In 2014, the University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform released a report identifying disparities between charter school funding and traditional public school funding. Examining 31 states, the researchers considered all sources of charter school funding, including public funds, grants, and philanthropic donations. Researchers found that charter schools received on average 28.4 percent less than traditional public schools. Tennessee's funding disparity was lowest at 0.1 percent, while Louisiana's was highest at 58.4 percent. The disparity in Texas was 3.40 percent, earning the state a B grade. Charter schools in the state received on average $381 less per pupil than traditional public schools.[15]

    Below is a chart that compares Texas' grade and funding disparity with those of surrounding states. To access the full report, click here.

    Charter school funding disparity by state
    State Grade District per-pupil revenue Charter per-pupil revenue Disparity in dollars Disparity in percents
    Texas B $11,072 $10,690 -$381 -3.40%
    Louisiana F $26,735 $11,134 -$15,600 -58.40%
    New Mexico B $10,701 $10,336 -$365 -3.40%
    Oklahoma Was not studied
    Source: University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, "Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands," accessed October 22, 2014

    Charter school management organizations and other groups

    See also: Charter school management organization

    In the 2010-2011 school year, 229 charter schools in Texas were freestanding, 328 operated under charter management organizations, and two operated under education management organizations.[6]

    The Texas Education Agency, or TEA, is Texas' sole state authorizer. TEA's charters are subject to more restrictions than that of local education agencies based on the state's charter school laws.[11]

    The Texas Charter Schools Association is a charter school advocacy group that represents almost 90 percent of all Texas charter schools. The Association was founded in 2008 with support from a handful of organizations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation.[16]

    Innovation

    See also: Charter school innovation indicators and High-performing charter schools

    Charter school proponents argue that charter schools have the freedom to adopt more innovative practices, which in turn lead to improved academic performance. To get a sense of the level of innovation occurring in charter schools, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools surveyed charter schools across the country on the various innovative education practices they employed. In Texas, an average of 30 percent of charter schools reported using innovative practices in the 2011-2012 school year. The table below displays the prevalence of a variety of innovative practices in Texas as a percentage of all charter schools in the state. The figures are compared with those in surrounding states.[17]

    Charter schools with innovative practices, in percents (2011-2012)
    State Extended day Extended year Year-round calendar Independent study School-to-work Higher education courses Average
    Texas 62% 36% 6% 32% 16% 30% 30%
    Louisiana 54% 46% 13% 29% 8% 13% 27%
    New Mexico 50% 32% 12% 32% 27% 59% 35%
    Oklahoma 100% 43% 14% 14% 29% 43% 41%
    Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014

    Ballot measures and legislation

    Ballot measures

    See also: School choice on the ballot and List of Texas ballot measures

    Ballotpedia has tracked no statewide ballot measures relating to school choice in Texas.

    Legislation

    The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Texas state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

    Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

    Recent news

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Texas charter school. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    Charter schools in Texas - Google News

    See also

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    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Public School Review, "What is a Charter School?" accessed October 2, 2014
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Charter School Finance," accessed October 9, 2014
    3. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    4. ↑ Center for Research on Education Outcomes, "National Charter School Study," accessed October 9, 2014
    5. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Total Number of Students," accessed October 9, 2014
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014
    7. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016
    8. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 203.70. Percentage distribution of enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by race/ethnicity and state or jurisdiction: Fall 2003 and fall 2013," accessed June 7, 2016
    9. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Charter Public School Movement: A State-by-State Analysis," March 2016
    10. ↑ National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "Types of Authorizers," accessed June 6, 2016
    11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 National Alliance for Public Charter Schools "Measuring up: Texas," accessed November 25, 2014
    12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Education Commission of the States, "State profile - Texas," accessed November 25, 2014
    13. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016
    14. ↑ The New York Review of Books, "The Myth of Charter Schools," November 11, 2010
    15. ↑ University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, "Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands," accessed October 22, 2014
    16. ↑ Texas Charter Schools Association, "About us," accessed NOvember 25, 2014
    17. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014
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