Report: R.I. eighth out of 18 states for charter public school movement momentum

RHODE ISLAND ranked eighth for the health of  its charter public school movement, according to a report by the Washington, D.C.-based National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. / COURTESY NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS
RHODE ISLAND ranked eighth for the health of its charter public school movement, according to a report by the Washington, D.C.-based National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. / COURTESY NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island ranks eighth out of 18 states evaluated for the health of their charter public school movements, according to a report by the Washington, D.C.-based National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
The “Health of the Charter Public School Movement: A State-by-State Analysis” ranks Washington, D.C., in the No. 1 spot. At the bottom of the list are Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Utah and Oregon, the alliance said in a press release.
Although in a previous report in which most states were included Rhode Island ranked 35th for its charter school law, Rhode Island in this report surpasses 10 other states for growth, innovation and quality.
Following the first report released in October 2014, this second edition measures movement growth, innovation and quality, while this year doubling the number of quality measures. Consequently, only 18 states with charter school laws met the criteria for inclusion in this year’s report.
Rhode Island placed eighth for achievement in several areas, including having a high percentage of schools in “nonsuburban” areas compared with its counterparts; having a high percentage of schools with a special focus; and having students who exhibited higher academic growth, on average, compared with the state’s traditional public school students.
Timothy Groves, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools, hailed the report as “encouraging.”
“Charter public schools face significant political challenges in Rhode Island, but our students’ success has been undeniable,” Groves said. “We have an outstanding array of unique and innovative charter schools, and we will continue to strive to work collaboratively to improve public education for all Rhode Islanders.”
As a companion piece to the annual state charter law rankings released earlier this year, the new health rankings are intended to provide a comprehensive picture of how charter laws are working in practice.
To access the report, click HERE.

No posts to display