SCHOOLS

Operating Schools

413

Total Enrollment

131,183

According to a recent survey, a large percentage of charter school students in Florida are minority (58 percent) and at-risk (49 percent).

Resource

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

LAW

Grade

B

Rank

12th out of 40 laws

Resource

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

EQUITY

Funding

Florida's charter school funding is complicated and inadequate. Charters receive $6,200 per pupil, compared to the $10,238 that conventional district public schools receive.

Resource

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

ACHIEVEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Test Scores

Not only are Florida charter students performing at grade level, but students that were achieving at a lower proficiency level have made continual progress in core subjects. Among students that were struggling in reading 62.4 percent made at least one year's progress, while 65.5 percent of students struggling in math also made at least one year's progress.

Closures

Charter school closures are evidence of accountability in action. As of February 2009, 82 Florida charters have been closed. Roughly one-third were closed for involuntary financial reasons, another quarter by management deficiencies, and almost a third for academic failures.

Resource

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