Study: Charter High Schools Have 7-11% Higher Graduation Rates Than Their Public School Peers

How can policymakers, educators, and parents know if charter schools are delivering on their promise of improving students’ lives? Test scores are the barometer most frequently used. While test scores can tell us a lot about school quality, they don’t always indicate how effective schools are at helping students secure a better future – from high school graduation, through college, and into the workforce. Now, for the first time, we have solid data about how charter schools not only improve students’ academic performance, but also give them a great start in life.

A recent study by Mathematica Policy Research uses data from Florida and Chicago to measure the effects of charter high schools on graduation rates, college enrollment, and college persistence – the rate at which students stay in college beyond the first year. The study also provides a first glimpse at the positive effects charter schools have on boosting earnings in adulthood.