Equity Washington - Unlocking Potential: Lessons from Washington State on How Charter Schools Can Meet the Needs of All Learners - Executive Summary - July 2024

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by James

Executive Summary of a July 2024 study on charter school equity in Washington State. It examines how the state’s charter sector can meet the needs of students with disabilities through inclusive design, authorization, and philanthropic support for technical assistance providers. The report draws on 12 staff interviews and 22 stakeholder interviews across 3 schools, plus public enrollment and learning-outcome data. It finds meaningful progress, including higher inclusion in general education and stronger learning gains, alongside uneven implementation and occasional public setbacks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages39

Reading Time1 h 38 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Research approach and evidence sources

Key findings: enrollment and placement

Key findings: learning outcomes

Key findings: implementation gaps and public setbacks

Key findings: leadership and capacity building

EQUITY WASHINGTON Unlocking Potential: Lessons from Washington State on How Charter Schools Can Meet the Needs of All Learners CHARTER SCHOOL EQUITY, GROWTH, QUALITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY STUDY JULY 2024 Executive Summary Students with disabilities have long been marginalized by low expectations for academic progress and exclusionary classroom settings that limit their access to challenging, grade-level instruction. Charter schools are uniquely positioned to address this challenge, possessing greater freedom to design studentcentered educational models and being accountable for the educational results they achieve. But to date, the autonomy for accountability exchange has failed to catalyze the creation of charter schools that consistently address the needs of students with disabilities or, perhaps more importantly, close the gap in educational outcomes between students with disabilities and their peers. This report considers the efforts of one state–Washington–to design a charter sector that meets the needs of students with disabilities. Supporters of charter schools in Washington were determined to build equity and inclusion into the design of the charter sector, which emerged after a controversial statewide initiative in 2012. Washington’s charter law includes a legal mandate to authorize charter schools designed to serve at-risk students and, as detailed below, philanthropic investments supported the development of an ecosystem of technical assistance and professional service providers designed to support the implementation of effective practices for educating students with disabilities. How these efforts have paid off and where they have proven insufficient provides a window into how education leaders–policymakers, authorizers, technical assistance providers, advocates, and funders–can act to support charter schools to meet the needs of all learners. To understand Washington’s progress in building a charter sector that enrolls and effectively educates students with disabilities, we conducted interviews with 12 staff members who work in organizations that provide material support or technical assistance to Washington charter schools, as well as 22 interviews with stakeholders (i.e. , school leaders, teachers, paraeducators, and parents) at 3 schools, selected based on their implementation of one or more inclusive educational practices for students with disabilities. We also reviewed publicly available data on enrollment trends, students with disabilities placement in the general education classroom, and these students learning outcomes in charter schools compared to their peers enrolled in traditional public schools. Prior investments to support equitable practices in Washington charter schools have yielded meaningful results. Publicly available data show that Washington charter schools often enroll a greater share of students with disabilities compared to their peers nationally and are more likely to educate students with disabilities in general education classrooms. Students with disabilities enrolled in charter schools also make greater learning gains compared to nearby traditional public schools, at least among the schools for which data is available. Teachers and parents pointed to practices that schools were implementing that they believed supported students with disabilities to thrive. Despite this progress, there are signs of continued struggle. Technical assistance providers noted that implementation of effective support for students with disabilities was uneven across Washington’s charter sector, and some schools have publicly stumbled, triggering action by regulators, tarnishing the sector’s image, and arming their critics with new talking points. Addressing the root causes of these struggles– some of which affect all public schools and some unique to Washington’s charter sector–will be key to ensuring the sector can deliver the solutions that students with disabilities most need. Unlocking P

FAQs

What problem does the study focus on regarding students with disabilities in charter schools?

Students with disabilities have historically been marginalized through low expectations and exclusionary settings. The study focuses on whether charter schools and the Washington charter sector can consistently address these students’ needs and close outcome gaps.

How did the authors evaluate Washington’s progress?

The study used interviews with 12 staff from organizations providing support or technical assistance and 22 stakeholder interviews across 3 selected charter schools. It also reviewed public data on enrollment trends, placement in general education classrooms, and learning outcomes compared with traditional public schools.

What positive outcomes does the report identify?

The report finds that Washington charter schools often enroll a larger share of students with disabilities and are more likely to educate them in general education settings. It also reports greater learning gains for students with disabilities in some charter schools, where data are available.

What challenges remain, and what causes are highlighted?

Technical assistance providers report uneven implementation of effective supports across the sector, with the largest gaps for students with the most complex needs. The report also notes that rare public stumbles can seriously harm the sector’s image under ongoing political scrutiny.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by James