CER Press Release

CHARTER SCHOOL SUCCESS RATES EXTREMELY HIGH 
Study Finds Less Than Seven Percent of Schools Fail

(Washington, D.C. 10/15/02) A new report released today by the Center for Education Reform (CER) details the continued success of charter schools with a focus on accountability as the key difference between charter schools and their district counterparts.

        Today's report, titled Charter School Closures: The Opportunity for Accountability, identifies the closures and provides insights into the operational challenges of this growing reform.

        "The news here isn't that some charter schools have failed but that so many have succeeded," noted CER president Jeanne Allen. "Today roughly 11 percent of traditional public schools have been designated as failing, and it's not clear any of those will close as a result of their deficiencies. The fact that charter schools can and do close for educational deficiencies underscores the importance of this reform to all of public education."

        As of October 2002, 194 charter schools - or 6.7 percent of all charters ever opened - have been closed due to some sort of deficiency or disagreement with the sponsoring authority. Of these, 154 are detailed in this report, while the other 40 are more recent and currently under review. Another 77 schools were consolidated or merged with other schools by school districts, which originally approved the charters but decided, often well before the actual charter was up, that it was to their benefit to pull the charter back; 60 are detailed in this report. Finally, 84 schools that were approved never opened.

        According to the most recent data compiled by CER there are approximately 2,700 charter schools operating in 36 states and the District of Columbia. There are 40 charter school laws. (Link to more Charter Highlights and Statistics.

        A copy of Charter School Closures: The Opportunity for Accountability is available here on the website, or by contacting the Center at (202) 822-9000. The cost of the hard-copy report is $19.95.

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The Center for Education Reform is a national, independent, non-profit advocacy organization providing support and guidance to individuals, community and civic groups, policymakers and others who are working to bring fundamental reforms to their schools. For more information contact CER at 202-822-9000.

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