NCJ Number
243792
Date Published
January 2012
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This paper argues that charter schools in New Orleans' Recovery School District (RSD) have failed to improve the academic performance of unmotivated, disruptive children from disadvantaged families.
Abstract
Charter schools were created with the intent that they would develop innovative ways to teach difficult-to-reach students who were contributing to low school performance scores in New Orleans public high schools; however, charter schools were not obligated to teach these students, since they were granted the authority to expel them. New ideas on how to teach disruptive and unmotivated students have not emerged from charter schools, because it is easier to expel them for disruptive and problem behavior. Some charter schools are closed at the end of each year because of dwindling and poorly performing student populations. Those that are reopened under new management are not required to enroll those students who had attended the school when it was closed. The high school students who are "dumped" out of the charter schools and are not tracked by the RSD or the State Department of Education disappear from the school system. High crime rates in New Orleans reflect the underlying social problem of ignoring the educational needs and reforms required to teach the difficult-to-reach students, who tend to be from disadvantaged families. The old school system retained these disadvantaged youth at the expense of school performance scores. Instead of instituting reforms in teaching methods, teaching materials, and incentive systems, RSD charter schools have sought to raise performance scores by discarding poorly performing students. Data tables that support this argument are provided.