Making it Count - The Productivity of Public Charter Schools in Seven U.S. Cities

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Angel

The report evaluates the cost-effectiveness and ROI of public charter schools versus traditional public schools across seven major U.S. cities, including Camden, Denver, Indianapolis, Shelby County, New Orleans, San Antonio, and the District of Columbia. It quantifies funding levels, student achievement outcomes, and the societal economic payoff from educational investments. Using city and state income and achievement measures, it compares charter-sector and TPS-sector performance to determine which schooling models generate the greatest value for students.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages38

Reading Time1 h 36 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Overview of education spending and charter growth

Methodology: cost-effectiveness and ROI calculations

Findings across seven cities

Making it Count: # The Productivity of Public CharterSchools in Seven U.S.Cities Corey A.DeAngelisPatrickJ.WolfCassidy SyftestadLarry D.MaloneyJay F.May February 2021 # Making it Count:The Productivity ofPublic Charter Schools in Seven U.S.Cities Corey A.DeAngelisPatrick J.WolfCassidy SyftestadLarry D.MaloneyJay F.May February 2021 School Choice Demonstration ProjectDepartment of Education ReformUniversity of Arkansas201 Graduate Education BuildingFayetteville,AR 72701 https://scdp.uark.edu/making-it-count-the-productivity-of-public-charter-schools-in-seven-u-S-cities/ The University of Arkansas wasfoundedin1871 as theflagshipinstitution of higher education forthe state of Arkansas.Establishedas a land grant university,itsmandate was threefold:to teachstudents,conduct research,andperform service and outreach. The College of Education and Health Professions established the Department of EducationReform in 2005.The department's mission is to advance education and economicdevelopment by focusing on the improvement of academic achievement in elementaryand secondary schools.It conducts research and demonstration projects in five primaryareas of reform:teacher quality,leadership,policy,accountability,and school choice. The School Choice Demonstration Project (SCDP),based within the Department ofEducation Reform,is an education research center devoted to the non-partisan studyof the effects of school choice policy and is staffed by leading school choice researchersand scholars.Led by Dr.Patrick J.Wolf,Distinguished Professor of Education Reformand Endowed 21st Century Chair in School Choice,SCDP's national team of researchers,institutional research partners and staff are devoted to the rigorous evaluation of schoolchoice programs and other school improvement efforts across the country.The SCDPis committed to raising and advancing the public's understanding of the strengths andlimitations of school choice policies and programs by conducting comprehensive researchon what happens to students,families,schools,and communities when more parents areallowed to choose their child's school. # Making it Count:The Productivity of Public Charter Schoolsin Seven U.S.Cities ## Executive Summary Historically,public educationspending in the United Stateshas risen at a steady rate.In2017-2018 alone,policymakersspent over $780 billion onthe public education system.The intent behind educationspending is to create moreand better opportunities forstudents to excel academically,thereby improving theirlife trajectories.However,looming future challengessuch as underfunded teacherpension liabilities suggestthat policymakers should“economize”their spendingwherever possible.²The numberof public charter schools,concomitantly,has experiencednear exponential growth.From1991 to 2019,charter schoollegislation passed in 45 statesand the District of Columbia.Student enrollments in publiccharter schools have increasedto over 3.3 million.³ long-term policy success.Therefore,we examine whichtypes of public schoolingstand to give each studentthe greatest “bang for theirbuck.”Our analysis compares is divided by the cost of theinvestment,and the result isexpressed as a percentage ora ratio.5 We examine the differencesin cost-effectiveness and ROI We examine which types of public schooling stand to give each student thegreatest “bang for their buck.” the productivity of differentorganizations providinga similar service—in thiscase,public education.Cost-effectiveness is "the efficacy ofa program in achieving givenintervention outcomes inrelation to the program costs."4ROl is for public charter schoolsand traditional public schools(TPS)in seven major U.S.cities:Camden,Denver,Indianapolis,Shelby County (Memphis),New Orleans,San Antonio,andthe District of Columbia.Wedetermine how much moneyis invested in public charterschools and TPS,what levelsof student achievement areattained across the two publicschool sectors,and how mucheconomic payo

FAQs

What does the report measure when comparing charter schools and traditional public schools?

It compares cost-effectiveness and ROI, linking investment costs to student achievement outcomes and the expected economic payoff to society.

Which cities and jurisdictions are included in the analysis?

The report covers seven major U.S. cities: Camden, Denver, Indianapolis, Shelby County (Memphis), New Orleans, San Antonio, and the District of Columbia.

What overall conclusion does the report reach about public charter schools?

Public charter schools outperform traditional public schools across the seven cities in both math and reading outcomes.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Angel