Charter schools top test scores at lower cost

But barriers holding them back, says Paige MacPherson.

For over two decades, charter schools have been providing Albertans with an option that’s fully funded for parents and delivers great results for students.

Evidence shows charter schools — autonomous, government-funded, non-profit, public schools which charge no tuition, each offering a unique approach — are increasingly in demand, and their test scores are top of the pack. Education isn’t one-size-fits-all, and charter schools offer unique outreach to many Alberta kids. It’s time more families had the option.

A new report published by the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies shows charter schools have been successful in Alberta, but regulatory and practical barriers are holding them back from reaching their full potential. The report also suggests introducing the Alberta model into other provinces could benefit students.

Alberta has 23 charter school campuses located mostly in Calgary and Edmonton. They range from elementary to high school, targeting a diverse spectrum of students.

Alberta’s charter schools focus on everything from academic enrichment to support for students who’ve experienced mental health struggles or trauma. Some offer progressive arts programming or an emphasis on women and girls. One charter school targets students for whom English is a second language; another specializes in science and technology. Still another teaches intensive music education while others promote rural community leadership or Indigenous learning.

The AIMS report shows charter school enrolment is growing relative to total school-age population in Alberta. In 2015, 11,000 students were reportedly on the wait-list for one charter academy.

The schools also deliver impressive academic results. An analysis of Grades 6 and 9 Alberta standardized test score data between 1997-1998 and 2016-2017 shows that charter schools on average almost always score better than all other types of schools — including independent schools that charge tuition.

The government demands a high level of accountability from charter schools, limiting which types can open (for example, prohibiting them from being religious), and mandating that they be non-profit. Yet despite increasing demand, there are only 13 charter school authorities in Alberta — while a governmentimposed cap says 15 may operate at one time.

When a charter society forms with the idea to start a school, it must first approach the local public school board. That board may then stop the charter society’s efforts by opting to offer a relatively comparable program. It’s subjective, and the education minister gets the final say.

In 2016, Alberta Education Minister David Eggen rejected two charter school applications: one Spanish-language school with a science focus and one special-needs school.

Charter schools face some additional regulatory challenges like defined five-year term limits, which other schools don’t face, and they generally don’t receive government funding for infrastructure or transportation, making them less expensive but more difficult to operate.

But keeping it simple, the changes required to unleash charter schools’ full potential are straightforward. The government could lift the arbitrary cap on the number of schools, and remove the requirement for the local public school board to serve as the gatekeeper to a charter school opening.

Removing these barriers to expansion could also help Alberta students at greater risk of falling through the cracks. Research from the United States shows disadvantaged students have benefited the most from U.S. charter schools, particularly in urban areas.

Alberta is facing a debt greater than $46 billion, and charter schools are also significantly less expensive for taxpayers. Based on numbers from the Fraser Institute, the Alberta government’s per-student subsidy for charter schools saves $4,284 for every student, every year, versus public school. Using the Fraser Institute’s 2012-2013 numbers, if 50 per cent of Alberta’s 473,174 public school students moved to charter schools, the savings would be over $1 billion per year.

Charter schools bring diversity into the public system, at no cost to parents, aiming for better student outcomes at a much lower cost. The proof is in the data — and the thousands of Alberta parents waiting to get their kids signed up. Don’t more kids deserve the same?