The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with the release of a new report titled Charter Schools Serving Hispanic Communities. The compilation of research featured in the report shows how the over 12 million Hispanic children in American public schools are faring, with the data time and again showing that charter schools serve more Hispanic students than their district counterparts, and are fostering achievement at higher levels.
Hispanic students comprise roughly 30 percent of charter school enrollment across the country, compared to 25 percent representation in traditional public schools. (National Center for Education Statistics)
Urban charter schools generate learning growth equivalent to roughly 22 extra days of math and 6 days of reading for their Hispanic students. For Hispanic students in poverty, these numbers rise to 48 extra days in math and 25 extra days in reading. (Stanford Universitys Center for Education Reform and Outcomes)
High-performing charter schools with significant portions of Hispanics and English learners tend to be better positioned to serve such populations. Such schools offer extended learning time, provide second language support in tandem with their content curriculum, and show elevated levels of cultural responsiveness and family engagement. (National Council of La Raza and Center for American Progress)
The Hispanic community is responding to the progress Hispanic students are making in charter schools with overwhelming support. According to nationally representative parent survey commissioned by the National Alliance, 84 percent of Hispanic parents say they favor or strongly favor allowing parents to choose which public school their child attends regardless of their address. The same survey found that, after the economy, Hispanic parents believe education to be the most important issue facing the nation.
Publication Date: 27/09/2016