California charter students score lower but improve faster

According to a new Hoover Institute study reported in today's Los Angeles Times:

The Hoover report analyzed Academic Performance Index test results beginning in 1999, when such data were first available from the state. It found that overall average scores in charter schools showed faster growth than among those at regular public schools but still lag because charters often enroll many students who were not doing well at other schools.

For example, in 2001 the average API test score was 612 for charter high schools and 635 for traditional high schools. But the charter high schools boosted their scores by 37 points on average from 1999 to 2001, compared with 18 points for traditional campuses.

The comparative gains for charter elementary school students were minimal, according to the report. In 2001, the average API test score was 676 for charter elementary schools and 691 for traditional campuses. The rate of improvement from 1999 to 2001 was 60 for charter schools, compared with 58 for traditional campuses.