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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > September > 04 > Entry
I’m trying to check this out
I got a phone message from Oakwood school board Jim Uphoff this week and he had a theory about why charter school test scores are gaining in Dayton while the school district’s scores are going down. He thinks it’s because charters are now attracting a significant number of suburban kids, even from districts like Oakwood and Kettering.
It is true that Dayton charter schools do draw kids from a wide variety of districts. But the numbers from the suburbs have always been pretty small with the vast majority of charter kids coming from Dayton Public Schools. I haven’t seen any signs that there has been a big shift towards the burbs, but I have asked the state department of education if they can give me any data to prove or disprove this theory.
Anyone have any insights as to whether there had been an influx of suburban kids to Dayton charters?
Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment | Categories: Charter Schools and School Choice, Dayton Public Schools, Testing
Comments
By School Supporter
September 7, 2008 12:11 PM | Link to this
Olprof writes, “When students from Colin Powell or City Day return to DPS schools, the average scores for Charters will naturally improve while those for DPS get dragged down.” That’s an important clarification: CPLA kids aren’t really expected to perform at the level of other DPS students; closure of CPLA was all about letting those kids fail at the same rate in a higher-cost unionized school. Marc Dann’s actions nicely exemplify the extent to which the Democratic Party has embraced unions at the expense of civil rights.By deb
September 7, 2008 5:58 AM | Link to this
There is also the fact that the charter schools send students back to the public schools. This may be due to many reasons, including behavior issues, and while all schools should have the right to have classes that are not occupied with students who are disruptive to the learning environment, where does the public school send its students who are disruptive to the learning environment?By Joe Lacey
September 6, 2008 7:09 PM | Link to this
Removing a school ranked excellent, DECA, hurt Dayton’s average too.By a teacher
September 5, 2008 4:17 PM | Link to this
I know Pathway one of the charters that did well attracts a lot of students from Huber Heights. I dont know the percentage though.By bobby
September 5, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this
Another theory might be the migration of parochial students[city residents] to charter schools. Prior to charter schools, parochial schools were the alternative of choice for avoiding DPS.By Dayton View Triangle Mom
September 5, 2008 10:46 AM | Link to this
I’ve heard about kids from kettering, trotwood, jefferson township, miamisburg and others attending charters. One charter school told me they attract kids from those districts because they have a teaching and learning system (at the high school level) that those districts don’t. You can imagine that is true for Out of School Youth especially. However, I don’t know that a child being from the suburbs will increase the likekihood of better test scores. I think that the home environment and parenting style do have a lot to do with outcomes for a child but perhaps not the location of the household. Scott - could you call a few charters and ask them what the percentage of non-Dayton children is that they have? I would guess itsa higher percentage for the OSY schools but still a small percentage for some of the outer lying elementary charters.By bobby
September 5, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this
My guess is that the charters are getting more former parochial students from within the city. Parochial schools were the only alternative to DPS before charters.By Oldprof
September 5, 2008 8:26 AM | Link to this
Scott, we’ve known for quite a time that the higher-performing charter schools are often the ones on the edge of the urban district, the ones that draw some students from the suburbs. But there’s a simpler explanation: the state increased oversight for charter schools in 2006, and several low performing schools closed. When students from Colin Powell or City Day return to DPS schools, the average scores for Charters will naturally improve while those for DPS get dragged down.By Mary
September 5, 2008 6:40 AM | Link to this
I have no data, but I can tell you there a lot of students and parents in the suburbs who would like choices other than their “excellent with distinction” school districts. Contrary to what is often presented, the suburban districts are not Happyville.