ANNUAL REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS ON THE STATUS OF CHARTER SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK STATE 2001-2002

According to the Basic Educational Data System (BEDS) forms that were submitted, a total of 7,960 students were reported enrolled in these 32 charter schools during 2001-02. Most (5,417) were reported as Black (not Hispanic origin) and the fewest (40) were reported as being American Indian or Alaskan Native. Hispanics made up the second largest population, with 1,278 students enrolled. Most students (6,695) were enrolled in grades K-6, while 1,265 were enrolled in grades 7-12. This includes 29 students reported as "Ungraded Elementary" and four students reported as "Ungraded Secondary." Among the elementary students, most (3,663) continue to be enrolled in grades K-3. Grade 6 had the lowest enrollment (669) at the elementary level. At the secondary level, most students (827) continue to be enrolled in grades 7 and 8, while 438 were enrolled in grades 9-12.

Academic achievement, as measured by State exams, was mixed. For those schools for which the 2001-02 school year was the first year of instruction, the test results should be interpreted as a baseline by which all future test results will be judged. The grade 4 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics scores for the Ark Community Charter School and the King Center Charter School placed them among those farthest from State standards. The Ark Community Charter School (for which 2001-02 was the baseline year) had nearly 91 percent of its students scoring at or below Level 2 on the grade 4 ELA exam. The King Center Charter School had nearly 89 percent of its students scoring at or below Level 2 on the grade 4 ELA exam, and slightly more than 94 percent of its students scoring at or below Level 2 on the grade 4 math exam. The REACH Charter School had 88 percent of its students score at or below Level 2 on the grade 4 ELA exam. On the grade 4 math exam, the Stepping Stone Academy Charter School had 90 percent of its students at or below Level 2, and the Charter School of Science and Technology had 86 percent of its students also at or below Level 2.

In contrast, the South Buffalo Charter School had 64 percent of its students at or above Level 3 on the grade 4 ELA exam (up from nearly 57 percent the prior year), and the Renaissance Charter School had nearly 83 percent of its students (up from 60 percent last year) at or above Level 3 on the grade 4 math exam.

On the grade 8 exams, the results for the REACH Charter School place it among the farthest from State standards. All of its students (100 percent) scored at or below Level 2 on both the grade 8 ELA and math exams. The results for both the Charter School of Science and Technology and the Rochester Leadership Academy Charter School (both located in Rochester) also place both of them among those schools farthest from the State standards. The Charter School of Science and Technology had 93 of its students at or below Level 2 on both the grade 8 ELA and grade 8 math exams. The Rochester Leadership Academy Charter School had slightly more than 95 percent of its students score at or below Level 2 on both grade 8 exams.

In contrast, only the KIPP Academy Charter School results show more students at or above Level 3 for both the grade 8 ELA and math exams. Nearly 62 percent of its students scored at or above Level 3 on both exams.

Results for the 1998 grade 9 cohort show that most students in both the John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy Charter School (82.4 percent) and the Renaissance Charter School (84.0 percent) scored between 55 and 100 on the Regents exam in English or received Regents credit for an approved alternative exam. The results further show that most students (84.0 percent) attending the Renaissance Charter School scored between 55 and 100 on the Regents exam in mathematics or received Regents credit for an approved alternative exam. In the John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy Charter School, most students (70.6 percent) did not take the Regents exam in mathematics. Of those who did, most (23.5 percent) scored between 55 and 100 on the Regents exam in mathematics or received Regents credit for an approved alternative exam.

The charter schools report a total of 147 English language learners, with 108 being enrolled in grades K-6 and the remaining 39 students enrolled in grades 7-12.

Two charter schools, the Austin L Carr Charter School in Hudson and the REACH Charter School in New York City, had their charters revoked by their charter entities and their provisional charters revoked by the Board of Regents at its July 2002 meeting. The Austin L. Carr Charter School never opened for instruction, but the REACH Charter School did provide instruction during the 2000-01 and 2001-02 school years. The REACH Charter School did not provide its required 2001-02 annual report, so no data beyond the State assessment results for that school are reported herein.

In addition to the REACH Charter School, neither the KIPP Academy Charter School nor the Riverhead Charter School provided the required financial statements. The statements for the Riverhead Charter School were still being finalized by the auditors as of April 2003. Despite repeated requests to the charter school and to the Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools (as the charter entity), the KIPP Academy Charter School refused to provide any financial information.

Additional information is provided that describes many of the issues and concerns that have been raised regarding the implementation of Article 56, the New York Charter Schools Act. Suggestions are made for possible amendments to the legislation.

Table 1 provides information for each charter school open for instruction during the 2001-02 school year and includes the grades and number of students to be served, the management company (if applicable), the specific educational approach to be used, the date that instruction commenced, and the charter entity.

Article 56 requires that this report contain information on the current and projected fiscal impact of charter schools on the delivery of services by the public school system. Appendix B contains information obtained from the public school districts in which charter schools are located. They were asked to provide such information from their point of view. It was assumed that the districts themselves would be in the best position to ascertain what type and level of impact, if any, the charter schools had upon the districts. A copy of the letter that was sent to the superintendent of each district is also included in Appendix B.

Table 3 shows the fiscal information for each charter school for the 2001-02 school year. Included are the name of each charter school, the reported sending districts, the number of students reported enrolled for the 2001-02 school year, the adjusted expense per pupil (AEP) for the 2001-02 school year, and the AEP multiplied by the number of students. It should be noted that this fiscal analysis is based upon the assumption that all charter school students would have been enrolled in their district of residence if the charter school had not been in existence, and that the school districts would not have incurred costs for special education, transportation, textbooks, and health services beyond the costs that the districts would have incurred if the charter school students had been enrolled in their districts of residence.