Washington’s charter schools a plus for English language learners but neutral on average for most students.
- The average charter school student in Washington state demonstrated academic growth in reading and math equivalent to his or her counterparts in nearby, similar district schools.
- The exception is for English language learners and Hispanic English language learners enrolled in charter schools, who showed significantly higher learning growth than those enrolled in traditional public school settings.
- Not all charter schools are alike. Some made significantly positive impacts, as much as 166 and 149 more days of learning in reading and math, respectively, compared with the learning they would have realized in traditional public schools. Conversely, some charters significantly underperformed their local school options by as much as 105 and 50 fewer days of learning in reading and math, respectively. More charter schools showed positive results than showed negative results.