Reflecting a statewide pattern, Red Bank Charter School students bested their district-school counterparts in standardized math and language tests in 2010, according to a report released Tuesday by the New Jersey Department of Education.
The report, titled “Living Up to Expectations,” is a comment-free compendium of tables comparing charter school test results in math and language arts against test results of students in the host districts.
Overall results are reported for grades three through eight, and reflect the outcomes of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge tests taken by students last year to comply with the federal No Child Left Behind law.
In Red Bank, results show the charter school outperforming the district at every grade in both subject areas by wide margins.
The charter school also turned in results that topped state-average results in both subjects at every grade level measured, the report shows.
Neither charter school Principal Meredith Pennotti nor district Superintendent Laura Morana could be reached for immediate comment on the report.
A press release issued with the report by the state agency says the data shows that “the majority of charters in urban areas last year outperformed other public schools in their host districts on required standardized testing.”
The release of the report coincided with the announcement that the education department had approved the creation of 23 new charter schools statewide, according to the Star-Ledger. That’s the largest number ever approved in a single year, and will increase the existing base of 73 charters by nearly a third, the newspaper reports.
On Monday, anticipating today’s report, the Sledger reported that “well over half” of charter schools outperformed the local districts on the tests.
The agency also used the results to bolster Governor Chris Christie’s education reform proposals, which call for more charter schools and more school choice for children in failing schools.
Here’s the full report: living-up-to-expectations
