Test score data in public schools will always be a controversial topic. With pre- and post- COVID lenses applied to all aspects of society, student test score analysis and discussion is on the rise.
This is understandable, and as unwelcome a lens as student test score proficiency may may be among many, all citizens rightly desire for all students—regardless of background—to achieve to their potential.
But as academic accountability stakes have increased, so too have school of choice options in Michigan. We ought to take inventory of how these trends and their data points intersect. And this we have this week's Michigan Benchmark installment, which is accompanied by yet another addition to our growing body of shared research.
We explore the state's K12 student population mix between traditional public school districts (known as Local Education Authorities, or LEAs) and charter schools (Public School Academies, or PSAs) in the four graphs below. The commentary above the graphs will guide you along.
A high level summary of this data, particularly the implications on the math:
Michigan's K12 student population continues to decline, however...
Charter school enrollment has remained more stable than non-charter enrollment, but...
Total special needs student enrollment has actually increased (on an absolute basis) from 2016 levels and more than recovered from our now well known COVID dip. But in total...
While charter schools have always had a significantly lower proportion of special needs students than their traditional public school peers, the gap between charters and non-charter schools has increased. Traditional Michigan public school districts have an even greater proportion of students with special needs (15.2%) than Michigan charter schools (12.2%).
How does this affect our reading of state test score proficiency? Consider these gaps between Michigan 11th grade students on last year's M-Step :
The bottom line: Michigan's traditional public schools continue to have responsibility for a greater proportion of students with special needs than their charter school counterparts. This gap has been present for at least a decade and it has grown over the last several years. We owe it to all of our students to have higher expectations of academic attainment. But when comparing traditional public and charter school test score data this variable must remain prominent in our analysis and action plan.
To refer to a previous post on rising school district fund balances, here we have an ideal "peanut butter and chocolate" scenario as available funds could be targeted at closing this gap.