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Charter schools in Illinois

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Charter schools in Illinois 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 145 total charter schools in Illinois in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 64,400 students.
  • Overall, charter school students accounted for 3.13 percent of total public school enrollment in Illinois in 2015.
  • The Illinois State Legislature approved the state's charter school law in 1996.

    • Background

    History

    The Illinois State Legislature approved Illinois' charter school law in 1996.

    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 rapidly 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.[4][5]

    In 1996, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois Charter School Law and Governor Jim Edgar signed it into law. As passed, the law provided for a total of 45 charter schools in the state: 15 in Chicago, 15 in Chicago's suburbs, and 15 in downstate Illinois. The state's first charter school, the Peoria Alternative Charter School, opened in 1996. The charter cap was raised from 45 to 60 in 2003: 30 for Chicago and 30 for the rest of the state. The cap was doubled to 120 in 2009: 70 for Chicago, 45 for the rest of the state, and five "replicating dropout recovery charters." In 2011, the state established the Illinois Charter School Commission, which "provides an appeal route for charter school developers denied by their local school district [and increases] accountability for authorizers."[6]

    Participation

    According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 145 total charter schools in Illinois in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 64,400 students. Overall, charter school students accounted for 3.13 percent of total public school enrollment in Illinois in 2015.[7]

    Charter schools, 2015-2016
    State Total number of charter schools Estimated enrollment Percentage of total public school enrollment
    Illinois 145 64,400 3.13%
    Indiana 91 40,300 3.92%
    Iowa 3 300 0.06%
    Wisconsin 244 44,800 5.15%
    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 Illinois 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 Illinois 4.0% 56.0% 36.0% 1.0% 3.0%
    Public schools in Illinois 49.9% 17.6% 24.6% 4.5% 3.5%
    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 Illinois as of June 2016. Click [show] to expand the table's contents.

    Enrollment regulations

    Any child living in a district with an authorized charter school is eligible to attend the charter school. In the event that there are more applicants to a charter school than available seats, a lottery is held to determine admittance. Charter schools in Illinois are permitted to "structure their mission-driven curriculum and learning environments to best meet the needs of their students and communities."[11]

    Funding

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

    Funding for charter schools differs from state to state, and even between districts within states. In Illinois, charter school funding "must not be less than 75 percent or more than 125 percent per capita student tuition multiplied by the number of students residing in the district who are enrolled in the charter school." The state board of education may award grants that can be applied toward the start-up costs of a charter school. Illinois does not provide funding for facilities.[12]

    Accountability

    See also: Accountability measures for charter schools

    Illinois requires that charter schools submit annual accountability report cards. Charter schools must also produce independent annual audits of their finances and administrations. The state may revoke or decline to renew a school's charter under the following conditions:[12]

    “
    1. Committed a material violation of any of the conditions, standards or procedures set forth in the charter;
    2. Failed to meet or make reasonable progress toward achievement of the content standards or pupil performance standards identified in the charter;
    3. Failed to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management; or
    4. Violated any provision of law from which the charter school was not exempted.[3]
    		 ”
    —Education Commission of the States

    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. Illinois' law ranked 32 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 Illinois' score with that of neighboring states. To access the full report, including methodology, click here.[13]

    Charter school law rankings, January 2016
    State 2016 ranking 2015 ranking Ranking difference 2016 score 2015 score Score difference
    Illinois 32 29 -3 129 129 0
    Indiana 1 5 4 177 161 16
    Iowa 41 41 0 63 63 0
    Wisconsin 37 38 1 110 79 31
    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.[14]

    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 Illinois was -15.3 percent, earning the state a D grade. Charter schools in the state received on average $2,053 less per pupil than traditional public schools.[15]

    Below is a chart that compares Illinois' 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
    Illinois D $13,461 $11,408 -$2,053 -15.3%
    Indiana F $13,286 $8,671 -$4,616 -34.7%
    Iowa Was not studied
    Wisconsin F $16,757 $9,870 -$6,887 -41.1%
    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

    In the 2010-2011 school year, 64 schools in Illinois were freestanding, 47 operated under charter management organizations (CMOs), and five operated under education management organizations.[16]

    The Illinois Network of Charter Schools is a statewide charter school advocacy group. Its stated mission is as follows:[17]

    “ The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) is dedicated to the improvement of education by establishing high-quality charter public schools that transform lives and communities. As the voice of the Illinois charter schools, INCS advocates for legislation on behalf of the charter sector, provides support to strengthen charter schools, and influences education policy for the benefit of all public school students.[3] ”
    —Illinois Network of Charter Schools

    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 Illinois, an average of 28 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 Illinois as a percentage of all charter schools in the state. The figures are compared with those in surrounding states.[18]

    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
    Illinois 74% 52% 4% 17% 13% 9% 28%
    Indiana 63% 63% 5% 11% 11% 26% 30%
    Iowa 100% 100% 100% 0% 100% 100% 83%
    Wisconsin 35% 31% 15% 40% 25% 15% 27%
    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 Illinois ballot measures

    Ballotpedia has tracked no statewide ballot measures relating to school choice in Illinois.

    Legislation

    The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Illinois 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 Illinois charter school. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    Charter schools in Illinois - 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. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Charter School Finance," accessed October 9, 2014
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    4. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Total Number of Students," accessed October 9, 2014
    5. ↑ Center for Research on Education Outcomes, "National Charter School Study," accessed October 9, 2014
    6. ↑ Illinois Network of Charter Schools, "History of Charter Schools," accessed November 14, 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. ↑ Illinois Network of Charter Schools, "FAQ," accessed November 14, 2014
    12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Education Commission of the States, "Charter Schools Update 2014 - State Profile - Illinois," June 2014
    13. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016
    14. ↑ The New York Review of Books, "The Myth of Charter Schools," November 11, 2010
    15. ↑ University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, "Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands," accessed October 22, 2014
    16. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014
    17. ↑ Illinois Network of Charter Schools, "About INCS," accessed December 3, 2014
    18. ↑ 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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