Charter schools in Massachusetts
 in Massachusetts |
This article does not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.
 |
| Education policy in the U.S. |
| Public education in the U.S. |
| School choice in the U.S. |
| Charter schools in the U.S. |
| Higher education in the U.S. |
| Glossary of education terms |
| Education statistics |
|
Charter schools in Massachusetts 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.
Background
History
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]
The Education Reform Act of 1993 provided for the establishment of charter schools in Massachusetts. As passed, the law capped the total number of charter schools in the state at 25. In 1997, this cap was raised to 50. That same year, a new category of charter schools was created. These schools, called "Horace Mann Charter Schools," require "the approval of the local school committee and the teachers' union." Original charter schools were designated as Commonwealth Charter Schools. In 2000, the charter school cap was raised to its current level of 120. This cap includes a maximum of 72 "Commonwealth" charters and 48 "Horace Mann" schools.[6][7]
Participation
According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 81 total charter schools in Massachusetts in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 40,300 students. Overall, charter school students accounted for 4.28 percent of total public school enrollment in Massachusetts in 2015.[8]
| Charter schools, 2015-2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Total number of charter schools | Estimated enrollment | Percentage of total public school enrollment |
| Massachusetts | 81 | 40,300 | 4.28% |
| Connecticut | 24 | 8,900 | 1.68% |
| New Hampshire | 26 | 3,200 | 1.76% |
| New York | 257 | 125,800 | 4.66% |
| 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
The table below presents information about the race/ethnicity of charter school students in Massachusetts 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.[9][10]
| Enrollments by ethnicity, 2013-2014 (as percentages) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data sample | White | Black | Hispanic | Asian | Other |
| Charter schools in Massachusetts | 35.0% | 29.0% | 27.0% | 5.0% | 4.0% |
| Public schools in Massachusetts | 64.9% | 8.7% | 17.0% | 6.1% | 3.2% |
| 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:[11]
- Higher education institutions (HEI)
- Independent charter boards (ICB)
- Local education agencies (LEA)
- Non-education government entities (NEG)
- Not-for-profit organizations (NFP)
- State education agencies
The table below lists charter school authorizers in Massachusetts as of June 2016. Click [show] to expand the table's contents.
| Charter school authorizers in Massachusetts, June 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Authorizer | Authorizer type |
| Massachusetts Department of Education | SEA |
| Source: National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "Massachusetts Authorizers," accessed June 15, 2016 | |
Enrollment regulations
As public schools, charter schools in Massachusetts are "open to any child, free of charge." In the event that there are more applicants to a charter school than there are available seats, the school must hold a random lottery to determine admissions.[12]
According to the Education Commission of the States, admissions preference may be given to currently enrolled students and their siblings. In addition, "preference for enrollment in a Commonwealth charter school must be given to students who reside in the city or town in which the charter school is located." For "Horace Mann" schools, "priority ... must be given first to students actually enrolled in the school on the date that the application is filed with the state board of education and to their siblings; second, to other students enrolled in the public schools of the district where the Horace Mann charter school is to be located; and third, to other resident students."[13]
Charter schools are permitted "to organize around a core mission, curriculum, theme and/or teaching method."[14]
Funding
In Massachusetts, education funding follows the student. "Commonwealth" charter schools receive funding directly from the state. The allocation is "a sum of the per-pupil amount from each district sending students to the charter school." Meanwhile, "Horace Mann" schools receive funding from their local school committees.[13][15]
Accountability
In Massachusetts, charter schools are required to submit annual reports. These reports must include "a description of progress made toward the achievement of the goals set forth in the charter." Charter schools are also required by law to submit financial statements.[13]
A school's charter may be terminated or revoked if it is determined that "the charter school has not fulfilled any conditions imposed by the board in connection with the grant of the charter or the school has violated any provision of its charter."[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. Massachusetts' law ranked 11 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 Massachusetts' score with that of neighboring states. To access the full report, including methodology, click here.[16]
| Charter school law rankings, January 2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | 2016 ranking | 2015 ranking | Ranking difference | 2016 score | 2015 score | Score difference |
| Massachusetts | 11 | 17 | 6 | 153 | 147 | 6 |
| Connecticut | 31 | 35 | 4 | 129 | 113 | 16 |
| New Hampshire | 33 | 31 | -2 | 128 | 128 | 0 |
| New York | 7 | 7 | 0 | 162 | 157 | 5 |
| Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016 | ||||||
Issues
Noteworthy events
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.[17]
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 Massachusetts was -21.2 percent, earning the state a D grade. Charter schools in the state received on average $3,802 less per pupil than traditional public schools.[18]
Below is a chart that compares Massachusetts' grade 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 |
| Massachusetts | D | $17,943 | $14,140 | -$3,802 | -21.2% |
| Connecticut | F | $18,527 | $13,902 | -$4,625 | -25.0% |
| New Hampshire | Was not studied | ||||
| New York | F | $23,210 | $15,920 | -$7,290 | -31.4% |
| 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, 59 schools in Massachusetts were freestanding, two operated under charter management organizations, and two operated under education management organizations.[19]
The Massachusetts Charter Public School Association (MCPSA) is a statewide charter school advocacy group. Founded in 2001, the group's stated mission is "to serve, support and advocate for Massachusetts charter public schools as they strive to achieve the goals of their charters." More than 98 percent of the state's charter schools are represented by MCPSA.[20]
Innovation
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 Massachusetts, an average of 31 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 Massachusetts as a percentage of all charter schools in the state. The figures are compared with those in surrounding states.[21]
| 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 | |
| Massachusetts | 62% | 43% | 5% | 33% | 10% | 33% | 31% | |
| Connecticut | 62% | 25% | 0% | 13% | 0% | 13% | 19% | |
| New Hampshire | 0% | 0% | 0% | 80% | 40% | 40% | 27% | |
| New York | 93% | 57% | 7% | 5% | 11% | 5% | 30% | |
| 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
Ballotpedia has tracked no statewide ballot measures relating to school choice in Massachusetts.
Legislation
The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts charter school. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Charter schools
- Charter school statistics for all 50 states
- School choice
- Public education in Massachusetts
- School choice in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Department of Education
- Charter school management organization
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Public School Review, "What is a Charter School?" accessed October 2, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Charter School Finance," accessed October 9, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Center for Research on Education Outcomes, "National Charter School Study," accessed October 9, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Total Number of Students," accessed October 9, 2014
- ↑ Pioneer Institute, "Putting Children First: The History of Charter Public Schools in Massachusetts," November 2009
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up: Massachusetts," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016
- ↑ 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
- ↑ National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "Types of Authorizers," accessed June 6, 2016
- ↑ Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, "Myths about Charter School Enrollment," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Education Commission of the States, "Charter Schools Update 2014 - State Profile - Massachusetts," June 2014
- ↑ Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, "Massachusetts Charter Schools Fact Sheet," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, "Myths about Charter School Financing," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016
- ↑ The New York Review of Books, "The Myth of Charter Schools," November 11, 2010
- ↑ University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, "Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands," accessed October 22, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014
- ↑ Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, "About Us," accessed November 25, 2014
- ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014
 |
State of Massachusetts Boston (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
