Understanding Arizona’s Public Charter Schools

1. Understanding Arizona’s Public Charter Schools Eileen B. Sigmund, President and CEOArizona Charter Schools Association

2. What is a Charter School? • Publicly funded, independently operated • Authorized by the legislature in 1994 • Vary in mission and model, serving a wide range of needs

3. Arizona’s Charter Movement June 17, 1994 • Governor Fife Symington signed into law House Bill 2002 — bringing charter school education to Arizona. • Arizona was the 11th state to allow charter schools • In the fall of 1994, 67 charter schools opened across the state. • The hottest new concept in the world of education reform. -Arizona Republic

4. Arizona’s Charter Students Quick Facts 170,755 Students attend Arizona’s public charter schools. 170,755 Of Arizona’s public schools are charter schools. 30% 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2014 2015 Arizona Charter School Enrollment 1995-2015 200K 180K 160K 140K 120K 100K Enrollment 80K 60K 40K 20K 7,915 Year

5. 170,755 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2014 2015 Arizona Charter School Enrollment 1995-2015 200K 180K 160K 140K 120K 100K Enrollment 80K 60K 40K 20K 7,915 Year

6. Quality of the Movement

7. 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress If Arizona’s 170,000 public charter school students were measured as an individual state, that state would have ranked 2nd nationally for both eighth-grade math and reading. azcharters.org/news

8. Arizona Charter Students Leading the Country 2015 NAEP Results 2ND EIGHTH-GRADE MATH 297 296 294 294 293 290 283* 1. MASSACHUSETTS.............................. 2. ARIZONA CHARTER SCHOOLS.... 3. NEW HAMPSHIRE.............................. 3. MINNESOTA....................................... 5. NEW JERSEY........................................ 6. VERMONT........................................... 26. ARIZONA......................................... 2ND EIGHTH-GRADE READING 5TH FOURTH-GRADE MATH *Arizona Ranked 26 in the US 2015 NAEP 8th Grade Scores in Rank Order 7TH FOURTH-GRADE READING azcharters.org/news

9. Demographic Snapshot 2015 NAEP Results azcharters.org/news

10. Demographic Snapshot 2015 NAEP Results azcharters.org/news

11. 2015 AzMERIT Charter students outperformed the state average of students passing the test in English Language Arts and Math by 5-12 percentage points in every grade level. azcharters.org/news

12. 2015 AzMERIT Charter Student Results azcharters.org/news Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 3 Grade 11 Grade 4 40 0 60 20 40 0 60 20 Grade 5 Mathematics English/Language Arts Grade 6 Grade 7 State District Charter Grade 8 Geometry Algebra I Algebra II Percent of students passing AzMERIT

13. 2015 AzMERIT Charter Student Results 49 Of the top 50 LEAs on the English/ Language Arts exam are charters. • BASIS Schools All 13 of BASIS Schools, Inc. were ranked among the top 50 performing LEAs in the state in both the English/ Language Arts and Math exams. Khalsa Montessori This K-6 charter serving 150 students in Phoenixwas the top performing LEA, with 92% of students passed the English/Language Arts exam. 49 Of the top 50 LEAs on the Math exam are charters. 4th grade charter students had the highest percent of students passing the exam. azcharters.org/news

14. Our Charters Changing Lives campaign is a way to share the stories that are often overlooked: to recognize the efforts of our students, teachers, leaders and community members who dedicate their lives to ensuring student success. www.azcharters.org

15. Espiritu Charter School At 16, Erik Avila was alone. His parents left the country and his two younger brothers were struggling in unstable living situations. Find out how, with the support of his charter school family, Erik overcame adversity to graduate high school, attend college and become the legal guardian of his brothers. www.azcharters.org

16. Who We Are Arizona Charter Schools Association is a nonprofit organization who believes that all Arizona students should have access to a high quality public school. We are focused on creating and sharing innovative programs designed to support leaders and teachers as they work to improve student achievement. The Association supports student achievement through high quality charter schools, advocates for student equity and charter school autonomy, and leads Arizona charter schools as a sustainable, strong, credible organization. www.azcharters.org