A study appeared recently that concluded that graduates of charter schools earn more than graduates of public schools. Mercedes Schneider turned her sharp eyes to the study and found that its conclusions were weakly supported by the evidence. She notes that only students who enrolled in private colleges and universities were in the study, but not those who attended state colleges.

 

She writes:

 

The study only involves comparison of two limited groups of students: those who attended Florida charter schools in the eighth grade and through high school versus those who attended charter schools in eighth grade and left to attend traditional public high schools.

 

Thus, the JPAM study omits all students who only attended traditional public schools. The EdWeek article does not clearly outline this key limitation in its opening statement– and it should have:

 

Charter school graduates in Florida were more likely stay in college and earn higher salaries than their district school peers.

 

That opener only confuses and misrepresents.

 

As for the finding that charter high school students are more likely to stay in college: The Florida high school graduates who attended charter schools from eighth grade through high school and who attended a private Florida college/university or an out-of-state college/university (remember, in-state postsecondary institutions were not tracked in this study) for two consecutive years (there’s your “stay in college”– two years in a row) is 9 percent higher for this specific group than for the “matched on key characteristics” control group of students who attended charters in eighth grade and then attended traditional public high schools.

 

Also, the very specific, charter high school attendee sample was 6 percent more likely to graduate from high school within five years.

 

Though the findings are statistically significant, practical significance (i.e., the difference this makes in the real world) is scant.

 

As for the charter sample’s higher earnings: This, too, is a statistically significant finding that is of questionable practical significance: An increase in maximum earnings of $2,318 between ages 23 and 25 years old, or 12 percent more than their traditional-public-high-school control group.

 

The EdWeek article mentions the 12 percent increase, but it does not include the actual dollar value of $2,318 per year for 23- to 25-year-olds. The actual dollar amount removes some of the shine from that percentage.

 

Consider this: Average maximum earnings for the traditional-public-high-school control group was $19,366 per year– not much to live on. So, this limited study found that students who attended Florida charters from eighth grade through high school and who attended in-state private colleges/universities or out-of-state colleges/universities (but state-funded colleges/universities in Florida) were earning an average of $21,684 per year between the ages of 23 and 25– also not much to live on.

 

Truth is, both $19k and $22k annually in 2016 would likely land these young people back in their parents’ basements if their only other option were to pay for housing without the assistance of one or more roommates.

 

Charters are still a fairly new phenomenon in most states, too new to have a large cohort that has completed college. But the propaganda machine is so powerful that we can soon expect to see billboards claiming that students who graduate from charter schools have greater success and make more money after college. And the logical conclusion is….that every student should go to a charter school. Except those with disabilities and ELLs.