CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE SAFER

(March 14, 2011) Students and teachers at Arkansas charter schools are less likely to face weapons incidents and assaults than their counterparts at traditional public schools, according to a Policy Foundation analysis of 2009 school performance report cards. (1)

The analysis compared the percentage of discipline incidents in charter schools with those in nearby traditional public schools. The performance reports measure student expulsions, weapons incidents, staff assaults and student assaults as an accountability indicator. (2)

Academics Plus Charter Pulaski County Special

0 Expulsions 0.2%

0 Weapons incidents 0.3%

0 Staff assaults 0.3%

0 Student assaults 0.4%

Benton County School Rogers School District

Of the Arts

0 Expulsions 0.1%

0.2% Weapons incidents 0.1%

0 Staff assaults 0

0 Student assaults 0.3%

KIPP Delta College Prep Helena-West Helena S.D.

0 Expulsions 0.1%

0 Weapons incidents 0

0 Staff assaults 0

0 Student assaults 0.3%

LISA Academy North Little Rock S.D.

0 Expulsions 0

0 Weapons incidents 0.2%

0 Staff assaults 0.1%

0.7% Student assaults 0.3%

Arkansas Virtual Academy (3)

E-STEM (3)

Covenant Keepers (3)

Dreamland (3)

LISA Academy (3) Little Rock School District

0 Expulsions 0

0 Weapons incidents 0.2%

0 Staff assaults 0.3%

0 Student assaults 0.4%

Two of nine charter schools had a higher percentage of discipline incidents in one of four categories.

All nine of the traditional public schools had a higher percentage of discipline incidents than charter schools in two, three or four categories.

(1) National Office for Research on Measurement and Evaluation Systems

http://normessasweb.uark.edu/schoolperformance/

(2) Accountability Indicator 4: Discipline

Discipline is an indicator of school climate and includes discipline policies distributed to parents, disciplinary training for staff, parental involvement plans, the number of serious incidents, and district alternative learning environment compliance.

(1) Little Rock charter schools reported no discipline incidents. They are the Arkansas Virtual Academy, E-STEM, Covenant Keepers, Dreamland and the LISA Academy.