Are Mecklenburg charter schools better than CMS? Here’s what state’s test scores show
Lake Norman Charter outperformed other area charters and most local public schools in proficiency on state exams and meeting growth expectations, according to results the state released this month.
The K-12 college preparatory school in Huntersville that enrolls 2,210 students earned an A performance grade. About 88% of its students passed state exams for the 2021-22 academic year — launching it into the top 6% of schools statewide.
Hard work and strong commitment from students, teachers, parents, administration and the charter school’s board of directors were keys in the school’s performance, said Sara Lay, community relations director. She said Lake Norman Charter’s mission is to go beyond academics to develop students into “well-rounded, community-minded young adults” who will go on to lead their communities.
“We are proud to receive an A grade from the state, particularly on our 25th year school anniversary,” Lay said.
Unlike Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and districts across the state still reeling from pandemic-related learning losses — about half of CMS students failed state exams for 2021-22 — Lake Norman Charter hasn’t slipped. Since 2014, it’s scored As.
But a Charlotte Observer analysis shows Lake Norman Charter is an exception among the 33 Mecklenburg County charter schools when it comes to how students performed versus the county’s public school students.
Apples-to-apples comparison?
CMS’ 50.2% proficiency rate — the percentage of students who passed state exams — only slightly trailed the statewide proficiency rate of 51.4%. Most charter schools did worse than CMS in proficiency.
In CMS, 142 schools, or 83%, met or exceeded their growth expectations. About 55% of local charter schools met or exceeded growth expectations. Twelve charters did not meet growth goals.
The new test results are the first released since September 2019 and mark the return of schools getting an A through F letter grade based largely on their test results.
While traditional public schools and charter schools are not an “apples-to-apples comparison,” data shows public schools fare better in the state’s measures, said Nicole Price, the associate executive director of the North Carolina Association of Educators.
“According to the state’s own data, charter schools serve a smaller percentage of English language learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students,” Price said. “Despite these differences, and the fact that traditional public schools do not have the same flexibility with school structures and accountability measures as charters, traditional public schools continue to outperform their charter school counterparts.”
Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy
The percentage of public and charter schools in North Carolina with a D or F nearly doubled from 22% in 2018-19 to 42% this year. Statewide, there also was a large drop in A and B schools, and more than a third of the state’s schools now meet the low-performing definition.
The statewide formula for calculating letter grades bases 80% on proficiency and 20% from growth.
Besides Lake Norman Charter, Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy was the only other Mecklenburg County charter school to earn an A grade, with 91% of students passing state exams. The school, however, did not meet growth expectations.
Of the 30 local charter schools that received grades, four schools earned Bs, 10 earned Cs, 10 earned Ds and four earned Fs.
“While COVID was difficult and tested us in many ways,” said Lay from Lake Norman Charter, “at the end of the day our community pulled together and rallied behind the students and our teachers to do the very best that we could with an unprecedented challenge. Even though we performed well, there are still areas that students struggled with due to not having in person instruction. We are still actively working to identify those areas so we can tackle each one.”
Twelve of the 177 schools in CMS that received grades scored A grades, 27 received F grades and 37 received B grades. The majority of schools scored in the C and D range — 47 and 54, respectively.
In CMS, 43.6% of all third-graders are not proficient in math, and 56.7% of all third-graders are not proficient in reading.
Out of 27 Mecklenburg County charter schools that serve third-grade students, third-graders in 10 of those schools posted worse proficiency rates than CMS in math and reading. More than 80% of third-graders at KIPP Academy in Charlotte, VERITAS Community School, Steele Creek Preparatory Academy are considered not proficient in math, for example.
The Children’s Reading Foundation describes third grade as important because it’s the last level at which students are learning to read. After third grade, they’re reading to learn, the foundation says. Third grade math, meanwhile, is seen as a bridge from simple to more complex skills.
Every student who lives in Mecklenburg County and attends a charter school is funded through CMS. This includes charter schools outside of the county limits. In CMS’ 2022-23 budget, part of $29.4 million in new investments is a $5.5 million increase in charter school pass-through payments.
“Imagine the possibilities for our traditional public-school students if the General Assembly met their constitutional obligation, and smaller class sizes and additional instructional supports were implemented back into traditional public schools,” Price said. “Then the academic gains would continue to grow.”
This story was originally published September 12, 2022 at 10:05 AM.
