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Charter school scores don't meet expectations
By MELANIE AVE © St. Petersburg Times, published May 25, 2001 TAMPA -- Charter schools are meant to be innovative and different. But recently released student test scores for Hillsborough County's charter schools are not much different from their regular public school counterparts, leaving some questioning whether the schools really are academic trendsetters. "My hope is always that they would do something different and show us how to do better," said Candy Olson, school board member. "It probably hasn't happened or it hasn't happened yet." State standardized test scores from six of the district's 14 charter schools were a mixed bag. Four of the six dipped below the average district scores in reading, writing and math on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test in fourth-, fifth-, eighth- and 10th-grade performance. Only two schools -- Terrace Community School and Learning Gate Charter School -- outpaced the county. Some charter schools did not report scores because of small enrollments or grade levels that were not tested. The performance of charter schools is of particular interest in Hillsborough, which is tied with Miami-Dade for the most in the state with 14 each, according to the state Department of Education. Charter schools get public money but are run by private companies or groups and are free of many local and state rules. In about two weeks, the state will use the scores, as well as other data, to assign an A through F grade to schools if they have at least 30 eligible students who were given the tests earlier this year. Charter school experts say it is difficult to compare charter schools, and it can take several years for charter schools to build a successful track record. "We believe students at charter schools should have to take tests," said Jon Schroeder, director of the Charter Friends National Network in St. Paul, Minn. "But when looking at standardized testing ... it's important to watch growth over time." Hillsborough's supervisor of assessment, Sam Whitten, cautioned against using the scores to evaluate the schools until the state removes tests of students with limited English abilities or those with disabilities. Terrace Community, which operates out of a Temple Terrace strip mall, surpassed the district in all three subject areas. Learning Gate, a first-year charter program and former private school, outdid the district in fourth-grade reading and fifth-grade math, but it fell slightly below the county in fourth-grade writing. Both Terrace Community and Learning Gate credit small classes, dedicated teachers and focused instruction on their better-than-average achievement. -- Times staff writer Stephen Hegarty contributed to this report.
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