SCHOOLS

Operating Schools

100

Total Enrollment

30,026

Charter schools enroll a third of the District's total public school population.

Resource

The National Charter School Directory offers complete listings, including school address, program description, and website.

LAW

Grade

A

Rank

1st out of 40 laws

Resource

CER's 2010 point-by-point profile of District of Columbia's charter law looks at approval process, operations, funding, and teacher and student provisions.

EQUITY

Funding

District of Columbia's charter school funding approaches equity and ensures some facility funds. Charters on average receive $11,570 per pupil, compared to the $20,167 that conventional district public schools receive.

Resource

More information on equity issues at Charter School Funding: Following the Money.

ACHIEVEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Test Scores

An in depth investigation by The Washington Post in December 2008 found that DC middle school charter students scored 19 points higher than conventional public school students in reading and 20 points higher in math on national standardized tests. On the DC Comprehensive Assessment System (DC-CAS) test, the passing rate for charter middle schools was 13 percent higher that conventional schools. Data also showed that charter school students had higher attendance and graduation rates than other public schools in the city.

Closures

As of February 2009, 16 charter schools have closed in the District. The District's charter schools are now governed by the DC Public Charter School Board, and operate under the gold standard in charter school accountability.

Resource

Accountability Report 2009: Charter Schools: In-depth information about charter achievement and accountability, including state-by-state analyses and closure listings.