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Charter schools in Arizona

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Charter schools in Arizona are public schools operated independently of public school systems, either by nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Although they are largely publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As public schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or impose special entrance requirements; students are usually admitted through a lottery process if demand exceeds the number of spaces available in a school. Charter schools generally receive a percentage of the per-pupil funds from the state and local school districts for operational costs based on enrollment. In most states, charter schools do not receive funds for facilities or start-up costs; therefore, they must rely to some extent on private donations. The federal government also provides revenues through special grants. As of March 2017, 44 states and the District of Columbia had approved legislation authorizing the creation of public charter schools. Six states had not.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 535 total charter schools in Arizona in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 177,600 students.
  • Overall, charter school students accounted for 15.90 percent of total public school enrollment in Arizona in 2015.
  • The Arizona State Legislature approved the state's charter school law in 1994.

    • Background

    History

    The Arizona State Legislature approved Arizona's charter school law in 1994.

    In 1991 Minnesota became the first state to pass a charter school law.[1]

    The National Conference of State Legislatures defines charter schools as follows:[2]

    “

    Charter schools are publicly funded, privately managed and semi-autonomous schools of choice. They do not charge tuition. They must hold to the same academic accountability measures as traditional schools. They receive public funding similarly to traditional schools. However, they have more freedom over their budgets, staffing, curricula and other operations. In exchange for this freedom, they must deliver academic results and there must be enough community demand for them to remain open.[3]

    		”
    —National Conference of State Legislatures

    Across the nation, charter schools have grown in number since the passage of the first public charter school law. As of March 2017, 44 states plus the District of Columbia had enacted charter school laws, and in 2013 it was estimated that 4.6 percent of all public school students attended charter schools. Performance results of charter schools nationally have been mixed, with some performing demonstrably better and others closing because they could not meet required standards.[2][4][5]

    Arizona's charter school law was passed in 1994, making the state the 11th to enact such a law. In the first year, authorizers received over 400 charter school applications, with 67 approved to open in the fall of 1995. Although there was an annual 25-charter cap on each of the two state authorizing agencies, the charter school system grew quickly–between 1994 and 2002, the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools approved 76 percent of the applications it received, and by 2003 nearly 500 charter schools were operating in the state.[6]

    Legislators amended the law in 2000 to prohibit local school districts from authorizing charters outside of their boundaries and require applications for charters and renewals to detail a business plan. The 25-charter cap on the two state agencies was also removed.[6]

    Participation

    According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 535 total charter schools in Arizona in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 177,600 students. Overall, charter school students accounted for 15.90 percent of total public school enrollment in Arizona in 2015.[7]

    Charter schools, 2015-2016
    State Total number of charter schools Estimated enrollment Percentage of total public school enrollment
    Arizona 535 177,600 15.90%
    Nevada 38 34,000 7.41%
    New Mexico 99 25,700 7.53%
    Utah 111 64,800 10.03%
    United States total 6,824 2,930,600 5.85%
    Note: The percentages in the column labeled "Percentage of total public school enrollment" were calculated by taking the estimated number of charter school students in a given state and dividing by the total estimated number of public school students in that state in 2015. Total public school enrollment estimates came from the National Center for Education Statistics.
    Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016

    Demographics

    See also: Charter school demographics and Demographic information for all students in the United States

    The table below presents information about the race/ethnicity of charter school students in Arizona in the 2013-2014 school year, as reported by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. To facilitate comparison, the same figures are also provided for all public school students.[8][9]

    Enrollments by ethnicity, 2013-2014 (as percentages)
    Data sample White Black Hispanic Asian Other
    Charter schools in Arizona 48.0% 6.0% 36.0% 4.0% 6.0%
    Public schools in Arizona 40.7% 5.2% 44.1% 2.8% 7.3%
    Charter schools in the U.S. 34.9% 27.1% 30.0% 4.1% 3.8%
    Public schools in the U.S. 50.3% 15.6% 24.8% 4.8% 4.4%
    Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 203.70. Percentage distribution of enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by race/ethnicity and state or jurisdiction: Fall 2003 and fall 2013," accessed June 7, 2016
    National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Charter Public School Movement: A State-by-State Analysis," March 2016

    State law

    Authorizers

    Charter school authorizers are, according to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), the organizations "designated to approve, monitor, renew, and, if necessary, close charter schools." NASCA has identified six primary types of charter school authorizers:[10]

    1. Higher education institutions (HEI)
    2. Independent charter boards (ICB)
    3. Local education agencies (LEA)
    4. Non-education government entities (NEG)
    5. Not-for-profit organizations (NFP)
    6. State education agencies

    The table below lists charter school authorizers in Arizona as of June 2016. Click [show] to expand the table's contents.

    Enrollment regulations

    Arizona’s law states that charter schools must enroll any student who wishes to attend, provided there are enough open slots. Otherwise, a lottery must be held to determine admission. Admission may be limited by age, grade level, or gender. Schools must give enrollment preference to returning students and siblings of attending students.[11]

    A charter school is allowed to give enrollment preference to children and grandchildren of employees of the school or charter holder, members of the school’s governing body, and directors, officers, partners, or board members of the charter holder. Unlike in some other states, there is no limit as to how much of the school’s student body may be given this preference.[11]

    Funding

    In Arizona, charter schools receive a portion of their funding from the state.

    Funding practices for charter schools differ from state to state, and even between districts within states. In Arizona, charter schools sponsored by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools (ASBCS) or by a higher education institution receive base support funding directly from the state. This funding is determined on a per-pupil basis. Local school districts are only responsible for the funding of charter schools that they sponsor. They may also provide transportation, which is not covered for schools authorized by the ASBCS or higher education institutions. Additionally, charter schools are eligible for all the applicable federal and state funding that traditional public schools receive.

    Charter schools are also eligible for what is called "additional assistance" by Arizona law, to be used for facilities and operational costs. This amount varies between $1,684.19 per pupil for grades K-8 and $1,962.90 per pupil for grades 9-12. Charter schools may also accept private grants and donations.

    Arizona's law also states that since "it is not the intent of the charter school law to require taxpayers to pay twice to educate the same pupils," base support funding for charter schools is to be reduced by the amount in grants the school receives from the state or federal government for basic maintenance and operations.[12]

    Accountability

    See also: Accountability measures for charter schools

    Arizona law dictates that every authorizer must annually collect performance data for each of its charter schools, and each school must be audited annually. While authorizers are not required to report their findings, individual schools participate in the annual Arizona School Report Cards program, which publishes public school performance data for the public.[13]

    As part of the oversight process, authorizers must develop a performance framework detailed in the charter and evaluate schools according to those standards. They are legally obligated to notify schools when they are not meeting standards, and may choose to require schools to submit a correction plan or even discipline the school by withholding aid.[13]

    Charter school law rankings

    In January 2016, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released a report ranking all of the nation's charter school laws. Arizona's law ranked 10 out of 43. The organization ranked each state's law by considering what it called "20 essential components of a strong charter school law." The table below compares Arizona's score with that of neighboring states. To access the full report, including methodology, click here.[14]

    Charter school law rankings, January 2016
    State 2016 ranking 2015 ranking Ranking difference 2016 score 2015 score Score difference
    Arizona 10 12 2 154 151 3
    Nevada 8 14 6 162 150 12
    New Mexico 16 13 -3 150 150 0
    Utah 20 18 -2 145 145 0
    Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016

    Issues

    Debate

    Proponents of charter schools such as the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools argue that, due to their freedom from some state oversight and regulation, they can adopt more innovative educational approaches. This allows them to cater to their particular higher-risk school age populations, which are generally composed of more minority and poor students. In addition, advocates argue that charter schools empower parents and improve traditional public schools through competition.

    Meanwhile, critics such as Diane Ravitch argue that charter schools have not been proven to produce significantly higher levels of academic achievement as promised. It is difficult to find data comparable to traditional public schools. Critics also contend that charter schools divert funds from traditional public schools, which continue to enroll significant majorities of public school students, thereby compounding problems at failing schools and generating unequal outcomes for students.[15]

    Funding inequity

    In 2014, the University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform released a report identifying disparities between charter school funding and traditional public school funding. Examining 31 states, the researchers considered all sources of charter school funding, including public funds, grants, and philanthropic donations. Researchers found that charter schools received on average 28.4 percent less than traditional public schools. Tennessee's funding disparity was lowest at 0.1 percent, while Louisiana's was highest at 58.4 percent. The disparity in Arizona was -18.4 percent, earning the state a D grade. Charter schools in the state received on average $1,749 less per pupil than traditional public schools.[16]

    Below is a chart that compares Arizona's grade and funding disparity with those of surrounding states. To access the full report, click here.

    Charter school funding disparity by state
    State Grade District per-pupil revenue Charter per-pupil revenue Disparity in dollars Disparity in percents
    Arizona D $9,532 $7,783 -$1,749 -18.4%
    Nevada Was not studied
    New Mexico B $10,701 $10,336 -$365 -3.4%
    Utah D $8,039 $6,352 -$1,687 -21.0%
    Source: University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, "Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands," accessed October 22, 2014

    Charter school management organizations and other groups

    See also: Charter school management organization

    A little over half of Arizona's charter schools are freestanding, meaning they do not contract with a charter school management organization for education management services. As of the 2011-2012 school year, 27 education management organizations operated 108 charter schools in Arizona, and 31 charter management organizations operated 139 schools.[17]

    Education management organizations are for-profit companies that form a network of charter schools with a shared vision and provide education services to those schools. In the 2011-2012 school year, the largest education management organizations in Arizona were Imagine Schools, Inc., and The Leona Group, LLC, each managing 22 schools.[18]

    The Arizona Charter Schools Association is the state's charter school advocacy organization. In addition to advocating for legislative support for charter schools and disseminating information, the organization has also started three nonprofits that each specialize in a different area of advocacy. The Center for Student Achievement performs research on student performance in charter schools and attempts to improve the quality of schools that perform poorly. New Schools for Phoenix focuses on reforming struggling urban schools in the city. Charter MarketPlace is an effort to provide charter schools with information on education service providers and allows them to review those companies.[19]

    Innovation

    See also: Charter school innovation indicators and High-performing charter schools

    Charter school proponents argue that charter schools have the freedom to adopt more innovative practices, which in turn lead to improved academic performance. To get a sense of the level of innovation occurring in charter schools, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools surveyed charter schools across the country on the various innovative education practices they employed. In Arizona, an average of 22 percent of charter schools reported using innovative practices in the 2011-2012 school year. The table below displays the prevalence of a variety of innovative practices in Arizona as a percentage of all charter schools in the state. The figures are compared with those in surrounding states.[20]

    Charter schools with innovative practices, in percents (2011-2012)
    State Extended day Extended year Year-round calendar Independent study School-to-work Higher education courses Average
    Arizona 40% 15% 10% 31% 13% 25% 22%
    Nevada 57% 7% 7% 7% 0% 7% 14%
    New Mexico 50% 32% 12% 32% 27% 59% 35%
    Utah 27% 19% 4% 27% 15% 31% 21%
    Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014

    Ballot measures and legislation

    Ballot measures

    See also: School choice on the ballot and List of Arizona ballot measures

    Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to school choice.

    1. Arizona Proposition 305, Expansion of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Referendum (2018)

    Legislation

    The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Arizona state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

    Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

    Recent news

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Arizona charter school. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    Charter schools in Arizona - Google News

    See also

    School Board badge.png

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Public School Review, "What is a Charter School?" accessed October 2, 2014
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Charter School Finance," accessed October 9, 2014
    3. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    4. ↑ Center for Research on Education Outcomes, "National Charter School Study," accessed October 9, 2014
    5. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Total Number of Students," accessed October 9, 2014
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Progressive Policy Institute, "The Rugged Frontier: A Decade of Public Charter Schools in Arizona," accessed October 23, 2014
    7. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016
    8. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 203.70. Percentage distribution of enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by race/ethnicity and state or jurisdiction: Fall 2003 and fall 2013," accessed June 7, 2016
    9. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Charter Public School Movement: A State-by-State Analysis," March 2016
    10. ↑ National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "Types of Authorizers," accessed June 6, 2016
    11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Arizona State Legislature, "15-184. Charter schools; admissions requirements," accessed October 23, 2014
    12. ↑ Arizona State Legislature, "15-185. Charter schools; financing; civil penalty; transportation; definitions," accessed October 23, 2014
    13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up: Arizona," accessed October 23, 2014
    14. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016
    15. ↑ The New York Review of Books, "The Myth of Charter Schools," November 11, 2010
    16. ↑ University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, "Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands," accessed October 22, 2014
    17. ↑ National Education Policy Center, "Profiles of For-Profit and Nonprofit Education Management Organizations," accessed October 24, 2014
    18. ↑ National Education Policy Center, "Profiles of For-Profit and Nonprofit Education Management Organizations," accessed December 9, 2014
    19. ↑ Arizona Charter Schools Association, "About Us," accessed October 24, 2014
    20. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014
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