Recent state test results for students in third grade through eighth grade show black students in charter schools perform better than those in traditional public schools.
The largest gaps were found in reading scores which showed a difference of 9 percent.
Dan Quisenberry is president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies. He said the improving test scores in charter schools narrow the achievement gap between black and white students.
“That's a problem that's plagued our country for far too many years and I think some of it is really just getting after the solutions because it's not easy,” Quisenberry said. “Most of it is an urban issue where there may not be family neighborhood structures, where there may not be as many opportunities.”
Quisenberry said the higher scores are not a result of charter schools being able to reject troublesome students.
“When kids come into a charter school, many times they are a grade to as many as three grade levels behind where they should be. Those are not kids that you're cherry picking in some way even if you could. What's happening is you're seeing people focusing on students' needs, and achievement scores are rising as a result of it,” he said.
The higher test scores for black charter school students are consistent across grade levels. It is especially prevalent in urban areas in the state.
-Emily Fox, Michigan Radio Newsroom
