Chartering in Georgia 2012-2013 : the Charter Schools Division Annual Report for 2012-2013

Chartering in Georgia

2012-2013

An overview of the academic performance of Georgia's charter schools

The Charter Schools Division Annual Report for 2012-2013

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report
Dear Members of the Georgia General Assembly,
Georgia law requires all charter schools and charter systems to submit an annual report to the Department of Education each year, and the State Board of Education to report to the General Assembly each year on the status of the charter school program. See O.C.G.A. 20-2-2067.1(c) and 20-2-2070.
To facilitate the meeting of these requirements, the Georgia Department of Education's Charter Schools Division each year conducts an Annual Report process for charter schools and charter systems. The 2013 process was open from August 1 to October 1. Each charter school and charter system annual report requirement is satisfied by completing this process. The Department then compiles the schools' report data, adds in academic assessment data including local district and statewide academic comparisons, and prepares and conveys to the General Assembly the attached report on behalf of the State Board of Education. Additional reports using data submitted by the schools in their Annual Reports will be forthcoming in 2014.
During the 2012-2013 school year, Georgia had 310 charter schools directly serving 43 school districts with four charter schools serving statewide. Of these charter schools, 28 were identified as Reward Schools through the new College and Career Ready Performance Index accountability system. Eleven charter schools were recognized for their high performance, while 17 charter schools were recognized for their progress in increasing student achievement. In addition, several of Georgia's charter schools were recognized nationally for academic excellence and innovative practices. This report will highlight many of these accomplishments.
During 2012-2013, the addition of new charter systems continued to increase the number of students served within charter schools. Additionally, the State Board of Education and the Georgia Department of Education continued to enhance our focus on charter school accountability and transparency. The Georgia Department of Education also developed additional resources for local school districts to strengthen their authorizer practices. Finally, the Georgia Department of Education is providing local and district leaders with performance-based research data to assist in decision-making.
Please note that this annual report includes definitions in an Appendix. Additional information on individual charter school performance may be requested through the Charter Schools Division of the Georgia Department of Education or through the annual Report Card published by the Governor's Office of Student Achievement.
Thank you for your ongoing dedication and hard work in helping to strengthen Georgia's public education system.
Sincerely,
Louis J. Erste Associate Superintendent for Policy and Charters Georgia Department of Education
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 2 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Table of Contents

Highlights from the 2012-2013 School Year

4

Characteristics: Charter Students and Charter Schools

5

Georgia Charters vs. Charters Nationally

9

Charter Schools by the Numbers

11

Charter School Locations in Georgia

12

Charter School Enrollment Trends

14

Charter Schools and Accountability

15

Charter Schools and Academic Performance

18

Appendix

28

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 3 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Highlights from the 2012-2013 School Year
The 2012-2013 school year was a successful one for many of Georgia's charter schools, with several recognized locally and nationally for academic success and innovative practices. Highlights include:
1. Charter high schools earned six of the 10 highest SAT composite scores in the state. Over 18 charter high schools exceeded the state average on SAT.
2. Student enrollment in charter schools increased by almost 75% from 2011-12 from 130,492 to 225,259 in 2012-13 Charter system growth was responsible for much of the enrollment growth.
3. Charter schools outperformed non-charter schools in the aggregate on major state assessments.

Figure 1: 2012-2013 SAT Performance of Charter High Schools

High School

Charter Type

Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology
Northview High School Walton High School
Johns Creek High School Milton High School
Alpharetta High School Chattahoochee High School
Roswell High School Chamblee Charter High School Fulton Science Academy High School
Centennial High School Riverwood International Charter School
Pepperell High School Armuchee High School North Springs High School Decatur High School Cambridge High School
Model High Morgan County Charter High School
Coosa High School Marietta High School

Start-up System Conversion System System System System System Conversion Start-up System System System System Conversion System System System Conversion System System

SAT Performance

Composite State

Score

Rank

1917 1773 1741 1707 1697 1672 1667 1653 1619 1563 1560 1557 1553 1550 1546 1528 1525 1493 1484 1461 1456

2 3 4 6 7 10 12 13 19 34 38 39 Top 15% Top 15% Top 15% Top 15% Top 15% Top 25% Top 25% Top 25% Top 25%

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 4 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report
Characteristics: Charter Students and Charter Schools

During the 2012-2013 school year, 225,259 Georgia public school students were enrolled in a charter school. This represented a nearly 75% increase from the previous year and nearly 275% increase in the past three years. Much of the student enrollment growth is concentrated within the charter systems; however, student enrollment in conversion and start-up charter schools continues its annual trend upward increasing more than 5% from the previous year.

Figure 2: Charter School Student Enrollment Growth

8-Year History of Charter School Enrollment

All Charter Schools (including Charter System Schools)

Conversions and Start-Ups

250,000 200,000

225,259

Number of Students

150,000 100,000
50,000 0

130,492

89,606

21,094 26,299 33,229 56,228 61,175

21,094

26,299

33,229 40,567

43,928

50,420 58,611

60,853

Source: GaDOE Student FTE Collection Period 1

The distribution of students by grade within charter schools mirrored that of non-charter schools within the state. For the 2012-2013 school year, 48% of charter school students were enrolled in elementary school grades, 23% in middle school grades, and 29% in high school.

Figure 3: 2013 Charter School Student Enrollment by Grade Level

Georgia Charter Schools

Grades Served

Enrollment

Number of Students

% of Total Charter School
Enrollment

Elementary Grades: K-5

108,449

Middle Grades: 6-8

52,678

High School Grades: 9-12

64,608

Total Enrollment

224,735

Source: GaDOE Student FTE Collection Period 1

48.3% 23.0% 28.7% 13.6%

Non-Charter Schools Enrollment

Number of Students
678,889 337,908 415,946 1,432,743

% of Total Charter School Enrollment
47.4% 23.6% 29.0% 86.4%

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 5 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

The racial and ethnic composition of Georgia charter schools also mirrored that of the non-charter schools. However, charter schools as a whole (conversion, start-ups, and charter system schools) served a higher percent of Hispanic and White students and a lower percentage of Black students than noncharter schools.

Figure 4: 2012-2013 Student Demographics Charter and Non-Charter

2012-13 Student Demographics
50.0%

40.0% 30.0%

42.0%43.5%

39.0% 34.0%

20.0%

10.0% 0.0%

% White

12.4%14.0% 3.2% 5.4%

0.2% 0.2%

3.1% 3.0%

% Black % Hispanic % Asian % American % Multi-

Indian

Racial

Non-Charter Charter

Source: GaDOE Student FTE Collection Period 1

The advent of additional charter system and conversion schools has shifted the racial and ethnic composition of the Georgia charter schools conversion charter schools serve a higher proportion of White students than non-charters. Start-up charter schools serve a higher proportion of Black students but serve the lowest proportion of Hispanic students than any other charter option and non-charter schools.

Figure 5: 2012-2013 Student Demographics By Charter Type

50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0%

2012-13 Student Demographics
(by charter type)

47.0% 41.3%43.5%42.0%

46.3%
39.0%
32.2%

24.6%

20.7%

15.2%
12.4%

5.6%

0.0%

% White

% Black

% Hispanic

Conversion Charters Start-up Charters System Charters Non-Charters

Source: GaDOE Student FTE Collection Period 1

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 6 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Services to economically disadvantaged students within Georgia charter schools also mirrored that of the state, although Georgia charter schools served a slightly lower percentage of economically disadvantaged students than non-charters 52% of charter school students were eligible for free and reduced price meals compared to 58% of non-charter school students.

Figure 6: 2012-2013 Student Demographics Economically Disadvantaged

2012-13 Free and Reduced Lunch Elgibility
(by charter type)

70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0%
0.0%

58.1%
Non-Charter Schools

52.4%
All Charter Schools

48.4%
Conversion Charters

51.7%
Start-up Charters

53.2%
System Charters

Source: GaDOE Student FTE Collection Period 1

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 7 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report In terms of student support services, Georgia charter schools serve similar percentages of students as non-charters for both special needs and second language populations. Students with disabilities were another program service area where Georgia charter schools are similar compared to non-charter schools 11.5% to 12.3% respectively. Among charter schools, 12% of charter system school students, 11% of conversion school students, and 9% of start-up charter schools students received special education services. While serving a slightly lower population of students with disabilities, Georgia charter schools served a higher percentage of students needing language support. In particular, 9% of Georgia charter school students received second language (ELL or English language learner) services compared to 8% for noncharter school students. Conversion charter schools possessed the largest percentage of ELL students at 13%, followed by system charters 10% and start-up charter 3%.
Figure 7: 2012-2013 Student Demographics Support Services
Source: GaDOE Student FTE Collection Period 1
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 8 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Georgia Charters vs. Charters Nationally
Nationally, charter school students represent 4.6% of all public school students in the 2012-13 school year.1 Georgia charter school students represent 13.6% of the public school population in Georgia including all charter types.2
Additionally, Georgia charter schools serve a slight higher percentage of Black students (34%) compared to charter schools nationally (29%). Georgia charter schools serve a higher percentage of White students (44% to 36% nationally) and only half as many Hispanic students (14% to 27% nationally) as do charter schools nationally.

Figure 8: 2012-2013 Student Demographics Charters vs. Non-Charters

50.0% 40.0% 30.0%

Student Demographics
National Charters vs. Georgia Charters

43.5% 36.0%

34.0% 29.2%

27.2%

20.0% 10.0%

14.0%

0.0%

% White

% Black

% Hispanic

National Georgia

1 The Public Charter Schools Dashboard, A Comprehensive Data Resource from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Accessed online via http://dashboard.publiccharters.org/dashboard/schools/year/2013.
2 Enrollment is based on the October 2013 (FTE 2013-1) count and can be accessed online from the Georgia Department of Education's website
http://app3.doe.k12.ga.us/ows-bin/owa/fte_pack_ethnicsex.entry_form.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 9 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Georgia charter schools serve a slightly higher percent of economically disadvantaged students than do charter schools nationally, but continue to serve a lower percentage of students needing language support. In prior years, Georgia charter schools have served an even lower proportion of the students needing language support (6.1% in 2011-12); however, the recent additions of charter systems and new start-up charter schools has increased the number of students supported with ELL services in Georgia's charter schools to 9% in 2012-13.

Figure 9: 2012-2013 Program Service Areas Georgia vs. National

60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0%
0.0%

2012-13 Student Support Services
National Charters vs. Georgia Charters
50.6% 52.4%

11.9% 11.5%

16.5% 9.0%

%ED

% SWD

National Georgia

% ELL

The distribution of the students in charter schools across grade levels are similar for both charter schools in Georgia and nationally.

Figure 10: 2012-2013 Grade Level Enrollment Georgia vs. National

2012-13 Student Enrollment
National Charters vs. Georgia Charters

60.0% 50.0%

48.3% 47.4%

40.0% 30.0% 20.0%

23.0% 23.9%

28.7% 28.7%

10.0%

0.0% Elementary Grades: K-5 Middle Grades: 6-8 High School Grades: 9-12

Georgia National

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 10 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report
Charter Schools by the Numbers

The growth of Georgia charter schools continued in the 2012-2013 school year. The total number of charter schools increased 43% from 217 to 310 schools including system charter schools.

Figure 11: Eight-Year Charter School Growth

8-Year History of Charter Schools

Total Number of Charter Schools

Non-System Charter Schools

350 300 250 200 150 100 48
50 0

310

217

162

113

121

59

71

71 76

79

100

110

108

Number of Appoved Chaters

Charters in 2012-13 comprised 13.7% of all schools in Georgia, higher than the national average of 5.8%. Georgia's percentage of charter schools is more than twice that of the neighboring states of North Carolina (4.0%), South Carolina (4.0%), and Tennessee (2.3%). Florida represented the only geographic neighbor with a higher percentage of charter schools at 14.5%. Georgia's remaining neighbor, Alabama, is one of ten states that did not have a charter law in 2012-13.

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 11 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Charter School Locations in Georgia
The proliferation of charter schools across Georgia continued within the 2012-2013 school year. Consistent with prior years, approximately 60% of charter schools are clustered around the Metro Atlanta area. However, in nine school districts (excluding charter systems) more than 8% of the schools serving students are under a charter contract.

Figure 12: Percent of Schools under Charter Contract

System Name

Total Non System Charters

Total School Count

Greene County

2

5

Hall County

11

33

Early County

1

4

Berrien County

1

5

Mitchell County

1

5

Thomas County

1

6

Atlanta Public Schools

15

103

Grady County

1

7

DeKalb County

15

134

Coweta County

2

30

Bulloch County

1

16

Glynn County

1

17

Chatham County

3

52

Muscogee County

3

55

Clayton County

3

62

Clarke County

1

21

Cobb County

5

112

Newton County

1

23

Dougherty County

1

27

Gwinnett County

4

132

Douglas County

1

35

Houston County

1

37

Cherokee County

1

39

Richmond County

1

57

Note: Excludes the 14 charter systems in operation during 2012-2013.

Percent Charter School
40.0% 33.3% 25.0% 20.0% 20.0% 16.7% 14.6% 14.3% 11.2% 6.7% 6.3% 5.9% 5.8% 5.5% 4.8% 4.8% 4.5% 4.3% 3.7% 3.0% 2.9% 2.7% 2.6% 1.8%

While charter schools are clustered within the Atlanta metro area, charter schools are distributed across the state (see below), including in southwest Georgia (Thomas County, Mitchell County, and Berrien County), southeast Georgia (Glynn County), northwest Georgia (Whitfield County, Gordon County, Calhoun City, and Floyd County), and northeast Georgia (White County).

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 12 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report Figure 13: Graphical Map of Charter School Enrollment Density
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 13 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Charter School Enrollment Trends

The range of student enrollment within Georgia charter schools varied widely, from Houston County Career Academy with 66 full-time students (although 450 additional students attend for at least one class) to Odyssey School/ Georgia Cyber Academy with 12,192 students. The average charter school enrolled 777 students. Start-up charter schools averaged 628 students (or 431 when removing the Odyssey Charter School), conversion charter schools averaged 860 students (Walton High School in Cobb County was the largest with 2,636 students), and charter system schools averaged 810 students.
Figure 14: Number of Charter Schools by Student Enrollment

Number of Charter Schools by

Student Enrollment Size
(excluding charter systems)

80

67

60

40

20

8

10 2

0

Fewer than 100

42 18 24
100-250

50 26 24
252-500

38 29

16 88

501-1000

More than 1000

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13

Figure 15: Number of Charter System Schools by Student Enrollment

Number of Charter Schools by

Student Enrollment Size
(charter system schools only)

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

0

Fewer than 100

4 100-250

120

37

42

252-500

501-1000

More than 1000

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 14 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report
Charter Schools and Accountability
In previous years, Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) served as federal accountability for all schools within the Georgia. In February 2012, Georgia was approved by the U.S. Secretary of Education for a flexibility waiver from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) commonly known as No Child Left Behind as well as the Waiver of Requirements to Determine AYP. Due to this flexibility, GaDOE implemented the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) as a state-driven replacement accountability system. Results from the CCRPI will not be available until after this report is published; however, school-based distinctions that have been released are presented below. In place of the AYP determinations, and to satisfy federal accountability for the 2012-2013 school year, GaDOE calculated three lists of schools: 1) Priority Schools; 2) Focus Schools; and 3) Reward Schools. Priority Schools are the lowest 5% of the Title I schools (78 schools), SIG (School Improvement Grant) schools, or high schools with a graduation rate of less than 60% for two consecutive years.
No Georgia charter schools are designated as a Priority School. Focus Schools are the 10% of Title I schools (156 schools) who have the largest within-school gap between subgroup performance on statewide assessments and graduation rate.
Eighteen (18) charter schools are designated as Focus Schools for having the "gap within school gap" however, for 10 of these schools, this gap existed prior to the schools becoming a charter school.
Reward Schools (234 schools) can be classified as: Highest-Performing (among the 5% of Title I schools in the state that have the highest absolute performance over three years for the "all students" group on the statewide assessments that also made AYP for the "all students" group and all of its subgroups in 2011).
Eleven Georgia charter schools were identified as Reward Schools for their high performance. High-Progress (among the 10% of Title I schools in the state that are making the most progress in improving the performance of the "all students" group over three years on the statewide assessments).
Seventeen charter schools received a Reward School distinction for making substantial progress in their student achievement.
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 15 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Figure 16: Charter Schools Accountability Distinctions

System Name
Atlanta Public Schools Decatur City DeKalb County Fulton County Fulton County
Gordon County Madison County Madison County Morgan County
White County White County

School Name
Charles R. Drew Charter School Renfroe Middle School
DeKalb PATH Academy Charter School KIPP South Fulton Academy School River Eves Elementary School Fairmount Elementary School Comer Elementary School Ila Elementary School Morgan County Elementary School Mount Yonah Elementary School White Co. Intermediate

Charter Type
Start-up System Start-up Start-up System System System System System System System

Reward School Type
Highest Performing Highest Performing Highest Performing Highest Performing Highest Performing Highest Performing Highest Performing Highest Performing Highest Performing Highest Performing Highest Performing

Atlanta Public Schools Atlanta Public Schools
Barrow County Calhoun City
CCAT
Clayton County Floyd County Floyd County Fulton County Fulton County Gainesville City Gainesville City Gordon County Muscogee County Putnam County Richmond County Warren County

Charles R. Drew Charter School KIPP Strive Academy Apalachee High School Calhoun High School
Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts and Technology
Elite Scholars Academy School Cave Spring Elementary School
McHenry Primary Hapeville Charter Middle School
McNair Middle School Gainesville Exploration Academy New Holland Core Knowledge Academy Sonoraville East Middle School
Wynnton Elementary School Putnam County Middle School Jenkins-White Elementary Charter School Warren County Middle School

Start-up Start-up System System Start-up
Start-up System System Start-up System System System System Conversion System Conversion System

High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress
High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress High Progress

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 16 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Figure 16: Charter Schools Accountability Distinctions

SYSTEM NAME

SCHOOL NAME

Charter Type

Barrow County

Winder-Barrow High School

System

DeKalb County

Gateway to College Academy

Start-up

Dublin City

Dublin Middle School

System

Fulton County *

Bear Creek Middle School

System

Fulton County *

Creekside High School

System

Fulton County *

High Point Elementary School

System

Fulton County *

Jackson Elementary School

System

Fulton County *

Randolph Elementary School

System

Fulton County *

Renaissance Middle School

System

Fulton County *

Ridgeview Charter School

Conversion

Fulton County *

S. L. Lewis Elementary School

System

Fulton County *

Sandy Springs Middle School

Conversion

Fulton County *

Tri-Cities High School

System

Gainesville City

Gainesville Middle School

System

Hall County

Lanier Career Academy

Start-up

Intergovernmental Mountain Education Center School

Start-up

Marietta City

Marietta High School

System

Marietta City

Marietta Middle School

System

Note: * indicates focus school status was achieved prior to gaining charter school status

School Type Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus Focus

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 17 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report
Charter Schools and Academic Performance

The following section summarizes the academic performance of Georgia charter schools on key statewide assessments for elementary, middle, and high schools.

Elementary and Middle School CRCT Test Performance
Georgia charter schools have outperformed non-charter schools on the CRCT reading assessment for each of the past five years.

Figure 17: 5-Year CRCT Reading Charters vs. Non-Charters

97.0% 96.0% 95.0% 94.0% 93.0% 92.0% 91.0% 90.0% 89.0% 88.0%

5-Year CRCT Reading Performance Trend

91.9% 90.9%

93.2% 90.9%

93.7% 91.2%

95.2% 94.0%

96.2% 95.3%

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Non-Charter

Charter

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 18 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Over the past five years all charter school types have experienced growth in the percent of students passing the CRCT Reading assessment. However, charter system schools have experienced the largest growth in the percent of students passing the CRCT reading assessment, increasing their passing percent by 4.8%, compared to an increase by conversion and start-up charter schools of 3.9% during the past five years.
Figure 18: 5-Year CRCT Reading, by Charter Type
5-Year CRCT Reading Performance Trend
(by charter type)
97.0%

96.0% 95.0% 94.0%

94.8%

94.3% 94.1%

95.8% 95.2% 94.7%

9966..43%% 95.4%

93.0% 92.0% 91.0%

92.5% 91.5%

92.8% 91.5%

92.0%

2008-09

2009-10

Conversion

2010-11 Start-up

2011-12 System

2012-13

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 19 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

The 2013 CRCT Reading assessment illustrates similarities amongst charter schools and non-charter schools. System charters and start-up charter schools demonstrated the highest percentage of students exceeding the reading standard. All charter schools outperformed non-charter schools on the percent of students exceeding the standard.
Figure 19: 2013 CRCT Reading Performance, by performance levels

60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0%
0.0%

2013 CRCT Reading Performance
(by charter type)

52.1% 51.1% 48.5% 48.3%

47.9% 48.0% 43.2% 44.3%

4.7% 4.6% 3.6% 3.7%

Did Not Meet Non-Charter

Met Conversion Start-up

Exceeds System

In 2013, charter schools outperformed non-charter schools on the CRCT Math test for the first time during the past five years. Charter schools have demonstrated consistent growth over the past five years, while growth for non-charter schools has remained relatively flat since 2010-11.

Figure 20: 5-Year CRCT Math Charters vs. Non-Charters

5-Year CRCT Math Performance Trend
(Charter vs. Non-Charter)

88.0% 86.0% 84.0% 82.0% 80.0% 78.0% 76.0% 74.0% 72.0%

79.9% 78.1%

81.9% 80.0%

84.7% 83.0%

84.98%

87.0% 85.9%

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Non-Charter

Charter

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 20 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Amongst charter schools, start-up charters regained the loss between 2010-11 and 2011-12 and are again on an upward trend in the percent of students passing the CRCT Math assessment. Charter system schools have consistently outperformed both conversions and start-ups in each of the past five years.

Figure 21: 5-Year CRCT Math, by Charter Type

90.0% 88.0% 86.0% 84.0% 82.0% 80.0% 78.0% 76.0% 74.0% 72.0% 70.0%

5-Year CRCT Math Performance Trend
(by charter type)

79.7%
78.1% 76.7%

80.9% 79.1%

85.9%
81.3% 80.0%

86.9%
83.5% 81.1%

88.4% 85.2% 82.6%

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Conversion

Start-up

System

For the 2013 CRCT Math assessments, only system charter schools outperformed non-charter schools on the percent of students exceeding the standards although conversion charter schools matched the non-charter performance.
Figure 22: 2013 CRCT Math Performance, by performance levels

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 21 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

High School End of Course Test Performance
Over the past five years, Georgia charter schools have outperformed non-charter schools on the ELA End-of-Course tests (EOCTs). Charter schools have increased their passing percentage from 83.2% in 2009 to 90.9% in 2013. Traditional schools have increased their passing percent from 80.9% to 87.7% during the same time period.

Figure 23: 5-Year EOCT ELA Charters vs. Non-Charters

5-Year EOCT ELA Performance Trend
(Charter vs. Non-Charter)

92.0% 90.0% 88.0% 86.0% 84.0% 82.0% 80.0% 78.0% 76.0% 74.0%

83.2% 80.9%

85.9% 82.5%

88.1% 84.8%

89.1% 86.7%

90.9% 87.7%

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Non-Charter

Charter

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 22 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Conversion charter high schools have outperformed both start-up and conversion charters on the ELA EOCT in each of the past five years. However, both start-ups and conversations have made significant increases in their passing percent on the ELA EOCT over the past five years. Start-up charter high schools experienced only a slight increase in performance in 2013.
Figure 24: 5-Year EOCT ELA, by Charter Type
5-Year EOCT ELA Performance Trend
(by charter type)
100.0%

95.0% 90.0% 85.0% 80.0%

85.9% 8800..14%%

8876..03%% 83.0%

90.4%
87.1% 85.6%

93.2% 8877..09%%

94.3% 90.8% 87.2%

75.0%

70.0%

2008-09

2009-10

Conversion

2010-11 Start-up

2011-12 System

2012-13

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 23 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Conversion charter high schools had a significantly higher percentage of students exceeding the ELA standard. Start-up charter schools were comparable to non-charter schools in the rate of students not meeting the standard during the 2013 testing period.

Figure 25: 2013 EOCT ELA Performance, by performance levels

60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0%
0.0%

2013 EOCT ELA Performance

(by charter type)

53.7%

51.5% 47.8%

38.0%

56.3%

34.0%

43.0% 35.7%

12.3%

12.8%

9.2%

5.7%

Did Not Meet

Met

Exceeds

Non-Charter Conversion Start-up System

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 24 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Georgia charter schools have also outperformed non-charter schools on the EOCT Math assessment for each of the past five years. The performance gap between charters and non-charters has widened from 3.7% in 2012 to 5.4% in 2013.

Figure 26: 5-Year EOCT Math Charters vs. Non-Charters

5-Year EOCT Math Peformance Trend
(Charter vs. Non-Charter)

70.0% 65.0% 60.0% 55.0% 50.0% 45.0% 40.0% 35.0% 30.0%

63.5%

51.2% 48.1%

57.2%

66.0%

66.2%

58.9%

62.5%

55.2% 49.8%

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Non-Charter

Charter

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 25 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

Performance on the EOCT Math assessment by charter school type illustrates a similar patter as ELA performance. Both charter system and conversion schools outperform start-up charter high schools, with conversion high schools outperforming charter system high schools during the past three years.

Figure 27: 5-Year EOCT Math, by Charter Type

90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0%
0.0%

5-Year EOCT Math Performance Trend
(by charter type)

521.04% 43.5%

65.0% 55.7%

6668..29%% 56.1%

76.7% 67.1%
51.0%

63.6% 57.2%
36.6%

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Conversion

Start-up

System

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 26 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report

For the 2012-2013 school year, conversion charter high schools again demonstrated the highest percentage of students exceeding the EOCT Math standard (18%), while start-up charter high schools had greater than 63% of their students not meeting the math standard.

Figure 28: 2013 EOCT Math Performance, by performance levels

70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0%
0.0%

2013 EOCT Math Performance
(by charter type)
63.4%

50.2% 36.4%

42.8%

43.6% 45.4%

44.8%

32.7%

18.2%

12.4%

6.2%

3.8%

Did Not Meet Non-Charter

Met Conversion Start-up

System

Exceeds

Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 27 of 29

2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report
Appendix
Charter Types
1. Conversion Charter School: A charter school that existed as a local public school prior to becoming a charter school. To apply as a conversion, a majority of the faculty and instructional staff members and a majority of parents or guardians of students enrolled in the petitioning school must vote by secret ballot to apply for a charter.
2. Start-Up Charter School: A charter school created by a petition brought forth by private individuals, private organizations, or a state or local public entity.
a. Locally Approved Start-Up: A charter school operating under the terms of a charter between the charter petitioner, the local district, and the State Board of Education.
b. State Charter School: A charter school created as an independent school that operates under terms of a charter between the charter petitioner and the State Charter Schools Commission. Petitioners apply to become a State Charter School if their petition was denied by a local board of education or if they will draw students from five or more counties.
3. Charter System: A local school district that operates under a charter between the district as the charter petitioner and the State Board of Education.
Conversions, start-ups, and charter system schools are under the management and control of their local board and their charters are three-party contracts between the State Board of Education, the local board and the charter school's governing board.
State Charter Schools manage themselves and are treated as LEAs (local education agencies) and their charters are two-party contracts between the State Charter Schools Commission and the charter school's governing board.
Testing History
In 2000, Georgia instituted the first year of the state assessment, the Criterion Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT), for grades four, six, and eight. Spring 2002 and 2004 marked the first operational administrations in all grades, which included English/Language Arts, Mathematics, and Reading in grades 1 through 8. Science and Social Studies are covered in grades 3 through 8.
Academic Data
Data on academic performance was extracted from the GaDOE data warehouse. In past reports, academic performance data from the Governor's Office of Student Achievement annual Report Card was used. However, at the time of initial production of this report, the Report Card had not yet been finalized. Once that data is completed and published an update will be produce and attached to this report to ensure accuracy and transparency.
Once that data become available on Georgia's public schools, readers will be able compare the charter school's achievement level to the local district and the state as well as to compare the charter school's rate of improvement to the local district and state. Further disaggregated data can be found for each charter school on the Governor's Office of Student Achievement website (www.gaosa.org).
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2012-2013 Georgia Charter Schools Annual Report
Acronyms Throughout the report, a number of acronyms appear. Among these are: AYP or Adequate Yearly Progress; CCRPI or the College and Career Ready Performance Index; CRCT or Criterion Reference Competency Test; GHSGT or Georgia High School Graduation Test; GaDOE or Georgia Department of Education; LEA or Local Educational Agency; SBOE or State Board of Education.
Acknowledgements A special thank you from the Charter Schools Division to the following individuals and teams for their contributions to this report.
State Board of Education Charter Schools Committee Mr. Brian Burdette, Chair Mr. Kenneth Mason, Vice Chair Mr. Scott Johnson Ms. Lisa Kinnemore Mr. Kevin Boyd
Georgia Department of Education Dr. Garry McGiboney, Deputy Superintendent, External Affairs Mr. Danny Ayoubi, Education Statistics Analyst Policy Division
Curry School of Education, University of Virginia Mr. Dennis Kramer, Research Consultant
Charter Schools Division
Contact Information Georgia Department of Education 2053 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Dr. SE Atlanta, Georgia 30334-5040 (404) 657-0515 (404) 657-6978 (Fax)
Staff Mr. Louis Erste, Associate Superintendent for Policy and Charters Ms. Morgan Felts, Program Manager Ms. Niya Kennedy, Attorney Ms. Jacqueline Clarke Dodd, Administrative Assistant Ms. Tracey Glen, Program Associate
Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent December 31, 2013 Page 29 of 29