School Choice in the United States: 2019

In 2017, no measurable differences in average 8th-grade reading and mathematics scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were observed between students in traditional public and public charter schools. This pattern persisted after taking into account how differences in parents’ educational attainment were related to the assessment scores.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assesses student academic performance at grades 4, 8, and 12 in both public and private schools across the nation. Using data collected in the NAEP 2017 reading and mathematics administrations, this indicator describes student assessment scores in 4th and 8th grade for students enrolled in traditional public schools and public charter schools.¹ The NAEP reading and mathematics scores range from 0 to 500 for both grade levels.²

Achievement score differences between students who were enrolled in traditional public and public charter schools could be influenced by factors other than school type, including socioeconomic background characteristics such as parents’ educational attainment. In addition, enrollment in different types of schools varies by socioeconomic background.³ Thus, it is important that explorations of how student achievement varies by school type account for these factors. This indicator reports findings from bivariate (t test) comparisons of 8th-grade reading and mathematics scores for students in traditional public and public charter schools, as well as multiple regression analyses that compare scores after controlling for parents’ educational attainment. For each subject area, a regression analysis was conducted using the NAEP Data Explorer (NDE). For the analysis, which included all public school students, the dependent variable was the reading or mathematics score and the independent variables were public school type (traditional vs. charter) and parents’ highest educational attainment. More complex relationships cannot be reported, and the available data do not allow controls for other student and school characteristics that research has shown are substantively correlated with student assessment scores and school type.⁴ In addition, regression analyses were not possible for 4th-grade scores because students did not report on their parents’ educational attainment.

Figure 6.1. Average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading scale score of 8th- and 4th-graders in traditional public and public charter schools: 2017

NOTE: While both the 8th- and 4th-grade scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 500, the scale scores are independent of each other—8th-grade results are not comparable to 4th-grade results. This is because the assessments increase in complexity and difficulty at each higher grade level, with the result that they measure different skills at the different grades, even though a progression is implied. Includes students tested with accommodations (11 percent of all 8th-graders and 12 percent of all 4th-graders); excludes only those students with disabilities and English language learners who were unable to be tested even with accommodations (2 percent of all students at both grades). Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2017 Reading Assessment, retrieved January 8, 2018, from the Main NAEP Data Explorer (https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/). See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 221.32.

In 2017, no measurable differences were observed between the average 8th-grade reading scores of students in traditional public (265) and public charter schools (266). This pattern was consistent with results from the regression analysis of 8th-grade scores, in which no measurable differences were observed between the scores of students in traditional public and public charter schools, after controlling for parents’ educational attainment.

Bivariate comparisons of average reading scores in grade 4 by school type were consistent with the patterns observed in grade 8. In 2017, no measurable differences were observed between the 4th-grade reading scores of students in traditional public (221) and public charter schools (222).

Figure 6.2. Average National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics scale score of 8th- and 4th-graders in traditional public and public charter schools: 2017

NOTE: While both the 8th- and 4th-grade scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 500, the scale scores are independent of each other—8th-grade results are not comparable to 4th-grade results. This is because the assessments increase in complexity and difficulty at each higher grade level, with the result that they measure different skills at the different grades, even though a progression is implied. Includes students tested with accommodations (12 percent of all 8th-graders and 12 percent of all 4th-graders); excludes only those students with disabilities and English language learners who were unable to be tested even with accommodations (2 percent of all students at both grades). Although rounded numbers are displayed, the figures are based on unrounded data.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2017 Mathematics Assessment, retrieved January 8, 2018, from the Main NAEP Data Explorer (https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/). See Digest of Education Statistics 2017, table 222.32.

In 2017, no measurable differences were observed between the average 8th-grade mathematics scores of students in traditional public and public charter schools (282 each). This pattern was consistent with results from the regression analysis of 8th-grade scores, in which no measurable differences were observed between the scores of students in traditional public and public charter schools, after controlling for parents’ educational attainment.

Bivariate comparisons of average mathematics scores in grade 4 by school type were consistent with the patterns observed in grade 8. In 2017, no measurable differences were observed between the 4th-grade mathematics scores of students in traditional public (239) and public charter schools (236).

¹ In the 2017 NAEP Nations Report Card, results for private schools overall and for non-Catholic private schools were suppressed because these schools did not meet NAEP statistical and reporting standards requiring a school response rate of at least 70 percent. Response rates for private schools overall were 61 percent at grade 4 and 60 percent at grade 8.
² While both the 4th- and 8th-grade scores are reported on a scale from 0 to 500, the scale scores are independent of each other—4th-grade results are not comparable to 8th-grade results. This is because the assessments increase in complexity and difficulty at each higher grade level, with the result that they measure different skills at the different grades, even though a progression is implied.
³ For example, as noted in Indicator 4, the percentage of students whose family incomes were at or above 200 percent of the poverty threshold was lowest for students attending chosen public schools (56 percent), followed by students attending assigned public schools (61 percent), and was highest for students attending private schools (79 percent).
⁴ See The 2017 Mathematics & Reading Assessments Highlighted Results for the Nation, States, and Districts at Grades 4 and 8 (NCES 2018-037) (https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/reading_math_2017_highlights/) for more information on score differences associated with student and school characteristics.

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