RAISING THE BAR

By Collin Hitt and Ashley Muchow A Performance Review of Downstate and Suburban Charter Schools for the 2009-10 School Year.

Table of Contents
Report: Raising the Bar ...................................................... 1 Charter School Profiles Cambridge Lakes Charter School ..................................... 6 Galapagos Rockford Charter School ................................ 7 Legacy Academy of Excellence.......................................... 8 Prairie Crossing Charter School ........................................ 9 Robertson Charter School ............................................... 10 Southern Illinois University East St. Louis Charter School .......................................... 11 Springfield Ball Charter School ....................................... 12

Cover photo - reprinted from Springfield Ball Charter School wesbite

Raising the Bar A performance review of charter schools

Introduction Several significant events over the past year have raised awareness for the education reform effort called the charter school movement. Specifically, President Obama in his Race to the Top initiative and filmmaker Davis Guggenheim in his Waiting for Superman documentary have pointed to charter schools as a means of providing a high quality education to students who deserve better than what the current system provides. Nationally, research is converging to tell us that charter schools overall are improving education for low-income youngsters. They are able to achieve these results because state charter school laws free them from bureaucratic customs and personnel laws that keep most public schools from trying something truly bold and new. Yet the schools are few and far between in Illinois, except in Chicago. The scarcity of charter schools throughout most of Illinois is due to a number of factors. Weak public policy is one of themstates that have widespread, successful charter school movements have created special centers or university institutes to oversee the growth of charter schools. Legislation called the Charter School Quality Act of 2011, which was signed by Gov. Quinn on July 21, will finally create a similar, statewide charter school commission in Illinois. But another reason charter schools are scarce throughout Illinois is a lack of awareness. Most communities have not seen convincing examples of charter schools working in smaller, albeit challenged districts. This report should help change that. A small, diverse cohort of charter schools have managed to open in Illinois outside of Chicago. On balance, these schools are raising the bar for academic performance. This report reviews official state testing data, using straightforward comparisons between the performance of charter schools and schools in their local districts. Readers can judge the performance of individual schools for themselves. But overall they will find a pattern of success. In downstate and suburban communities, there are only 12 charter schools to enroll elementary and high school students. The number of charter schools must increasebut that will not happen without greater awareness. Many of the charter schools featured in this report are pioneers, opening and finding success against the odds. They are creating oneof-a-kind opportunities for children in their communities. Heres hoping they have company very soon. What Are Charter Schools? Charter schools are open-enrollment public schools run by independent nonprofit and community organizations. Theyre given the flexibility to innovate but are held more accountable for their resultsby parents and by local officials. Charter schools create new choices for parents within the public school system; indeed, they are attended only by students whose parents have signed them up. At their best, charter schools are partnerships between educational entrepreneurs and parents seeking a better choice of schools. They open with the specific needs of a community in

Education Brief

July 21, 2011

Collin Hitt is the Director of Education Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute. Ashley Muchow, a Public Policy Analyst at the Illinois Policy Institute, assisted in the research and writing of this brief.

Page 2 of 12
mind, and flourish only if parents choose to enroll their children. If a charter school is unpopular or fails to meet high performance standards, state and local officials can take actions to quickly close the school by revoking its charter agreement. Performance Records of Downstate Charter Schools This report focuses on the seven downstate and suburban charter schools that enrolled K-12 students during the 2009-10 school year. Charter schools that focus exclusively on reenrolling high school dropouts are excluded from the analysis. Also not included in the analysis are Peorias Quest Academy, Rockfords CICS Patriots Charter School and Southland College Prep, all of which opened in the fall of 2010. All performance measures excluding test scores were included for the Southern Illinois University East St. Louis Charter School. The schools 2009-10 PSAE test scores taken by the schools grade 11 students were not posted by the Illinois Interactive Report Card and could therefore not be included in the analysis. Of the charter schools that enroll elementary, middle and high school students, the results are promising. Downstate and suburban charter schools outperformed the district averages in 80 percent of school wide performance measures. In every instance, charter schools posted lower truancy rates than district schools. In 5 of 7 comparisons, charter schools had higher attendance rates. In 5 of 6 comparisons, charter schools had a higher percentage of all students meeting/exceeding state standards on tests. A closer grade-by-grade and subject-by-subject analysis of performance shows charter schools are making strong headway. Overall, the gradelevel test results at charter schools exceeded the district grade-level average 72.6 percent of the time. In each subject area, charter schools outperformed the average at district schools in direct comparisons: o Reading test results at charter schools exceeded district averages in 80 percent, or 20 of 25, direct comparisons. o Math test results at charter schools exceeded district averages in 71.4 percent, or 20 of 28, direct comparisons. o Science test results at charter schools exceeded district averages in 55.6 percent, or 5 of 9, direct comparisons. o Writing test results at charter schools exceeded district averages in 68.4 percent, or 13 of 19, direct comparisons. In the four schools where the grade-level performance of economically disadvantaged students could be compared directly to district averages, charter students outperformed the district averages in 70.8 percent, or 34 of 48, direct comparisons: At Decatur Robertson Charter School, low-income students outperformed their peers district-wide in 66.7 percent, or 12 of 18, comparisons. At Springfield Ball Charter School, lowincome students outperformed their peers district-wide in 100 percent, or 18 of 18, comparisons. At Galapagos Charter School low-income students outperformed their peers district-wide in 66.7 percent, or 2 of 3, comparisons. Legacy Academy of Excellences performance did not hold consistent with the patternlow-income students outperformed their district-wide peers in only 22.2 percent, or 2 of 9, comparisons. These results are consistent with those published for Springfield Ball and Decatur Robertson in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 editions of this performance report. Charter schools provide parents with new school choices for their children, which is something that Illinois families strongly desire. In a December 2007 poll, more than 80 percent of people surveyed in Illinois said that they would most prefer to enroll their children in

Downstate and suburban charter schools outperformed the district averages in 80 percent of school wide performance measures.

Page 3 of 12
a school other than a regular district public school. More people named charter schools as their top choice than they did regular public schools, 23 to 19 percent. Throughout the state, many parents are looking for smaller classes or safer schools. Others are looking for a unique curriculum; for example, one suburban charter school focuses on ecological issues. Success at meeting these unique demands is difficult to measure and does not always show up on data-driven reports such as this, which focuses exclusively on standardized measures of student performance. That said, the data are clear. More often than not, charter schools in downstate and suburban Illinois are outperforming the average at district schools. This is the case with low-income students in particular. Parents who are seeking schools with stronger academic records are likely to be happy with their choice of charter schools. As more charter schools open throughout downstate Illinois and the suburbs of Chicago, one hopes they will match the success of existing charter schools. Every community could use better schoolsas charter schools continue to flourish, perhaps they will spur all public schools to challenge the norm and improve how all of Illinoiss children are educated. Methods and Definitions This report reviews several measures of school performance. These measures include results on standardized tests during the 2009-10 school year, gains on standardized tests from the previous year, measures of student attendance, truancy, and graduation rates, as well as the performance of economically disadvantaged students. All data were gathered from the Illinois Interactive Report Card, which is published by Northern Illinois University using data provided by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Attendance Rate Regular attendance is a prerequisite for other academic achievements in the classroom. As a general rule, students who frequently miss school will learn less as a result. A schools attendance rate is calculated according to the following guidelines published by the ISBE: Student attendance rate is the aggregate days of student attendance, divided by the sum of the aggregate days of student attendance and aggregate days of student absence, multiplied by 100. Truancy Rate Truancy has substantial adverse impacts on student learning. As stated above, students who attend school less will learn less. In the case of truancy, that point can be stated even more emphatically: students who miss school on a regular basis will fail in school on a regular basis. ISBE provides the following guideline for calculating truancy rates: Chronic truancy rate is the number of chronic truants, divided by the average daily enrollment, multiplied by 100. Chronic truants include students subject to compulsory attendance who have been absent without valid cause from such attendance for 10 percent or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days. Graduation Rate A high school diploma is a prerequisite to success as an adult. Students, simply put, must graduate from high school in order to succeed in college or the workforce. Students who fail to graduate from high school will live a substantial portion of their livesif not their entire livesat or below the poverty level. The ISBE requires every school to report graduation rates according to the following formula: graduates / original freshmen + transfer in - transfer out or died. ISAT Composite Students in grades 3 through 8 take a series of tests called the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). As part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), state lawmakers have set performance benchmarks at each subject and grade level. These benchmarks, from lowest to highest, are Academic Warning, Below Standards, Meets Standards and Exceeds Standards. This report compares percentages of students at charter and district schools who meet/exceed standards on all subjects on the ISAT.

Charter schools provide parents with new school choices for their children, which is something that Illinois families strongly desire.

Page 4 of 12
One-Year ISAT Change Good schools get better over time. The oneyear change in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding state standards provides a glimpse into the progress being made by schools and entire districts in their various attempts to improve student learning. This report compares the one-year change in the percentage of students meeting standards on ISAT composite. PSAE Composite Students in grade 11 are required to take a battery of tests called the Prairie State Assessment Exam (PSAE). The PSAE component tests are: the English, reading, writing, mathematics and science components of the ACT; the ACT WorkKeys assessments for Reading for Information and Applied Mathematics; as well as a science assessment developed by the ISBE. As with the ISAT, lawmakers have created performance benchmarks, called standards, for each test. This report compares the percentage of students who meet/exceed those standards at charter and district schools. One-Year PSAE Change As with ISAT scores, the one-year change in PSAE scores provides a glimpse into how schools are improving over time, if they are improving at all. This report compares the one-year change in the percentage of students meeting/exceeding standards on PSAE composite. Grade-by-Grade, Subject-by-Subject Comparisons Grade-level results on standardized tests are published for every school and district by the Illinois Interactive Report Card. In grades 3 through 8, almost all students take the ISAT battery of tests. Similarly, in grade 11, most students take the PSAE. In each instance, students take Reading and Math tests. Science is tested during grades 4, 7 and 11. Writing is tested in grades 5, 6, 8 and 11. By publishing the results of each test, the state makes it possible to compare student performance at different ages and in several content areas. Comparing the grade-level results at charter schools and district schools gives parents, policymakers and taxpayers a clearer idea of where and how charter schools are making progress. Low-Income Student Comparisons Grade-level results are often available for student subgroups as well. Examining the results of students in the Low-Income subgroup is especially important to examining the impact of charter schools. The percentage of charter school students who come from poor households often varies from the district average: sometimes the number at charter schools is higher, sometimes its lower. If at least ten students in a given grade are classified as low-income, then the grade-level test results for that subgroup are published. When that data was available, direct comparisons were made with the performance of low-income students at district schools on a grade-by-grade basis.

Comparing the gradelevel results at charter schools and district schools gives parents, policymakers and taxpayers a clearer idea of where and how charter schools are making progress.

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Legacy Academy of Excellence
Rockford, IL

Prairie Crossing Charter School

Grayslake, IL

Galapagos Rockford Charter School

Rockford, IL

Springfield Ball Charter School

Springfield, IL

Cambridge Lakes Charter School

Pingree Grove, IL

Southern Illinois University East St. Louis Charter School

East St. Louis, IL

Robertson Charter School

Decatur, IL

Overview: Charter Schools vs. District Comparisons

Above District Average Equal to district performance Below district performance Enrollment LEP % 0.4 11.3 5.3 10.2 1.9 10.2 0 9.9 7.8 0 0.7 0 0.3 0 0.2 Low Income % 9.6 34.4 84 75.3 85.5 75.3 1.4 6 22.1 91.5 69.5 0.9 77.3 45.1 65.5 Attendance % 94.2 94.7 94.4 92.1 93.1 92.1 95.6 95.4 95.3 95.3 91.3 89.2 91.1 95.4 92 Truant % 0.4 5.4 3.3 6.1 0.8 6.1 0 0 0.2 0 5.4 2 25.3 1.5 4.2 ISAT 2010 Composite Score % Meet or Exceed State Standard 86 78 67 63 52 63 96 93 87 72 69 N/A 57 85 67 ISAT 2010 Composite Score Change from Previous Year 2 1 N/A 0 N/A 0 0 1 0 3 3 N/A 1 4 2

Cambridge Lakes CUSD 300 (District Comparison) Galapagos Rockford Charter School Rockford 205 (District Comparison) Legacy Academy of Excellence Rockford 205 (District Comparison) Prairie Crossing Charter School Fremont 79 (District Comparison) Woodland 50 (District Comparison) Robertson Charter School Decatur 61 (District Comparison) Southern Illinois University East St.Louis Charter School East SL 189 (District Comparison) Springfield Ball Charter School Springfield 186 (District Comparison)

477 19,680 94 27,181 269 27,181 362 2,125 6,840 236 8,739 106 7,374 446 14,543

Page 6 of 12

Cambridge Lakes Charter School

Opened in 2007, Cambridge Lakes Charter School is part of a larger network of educational institutions being developed near the new Cambridge Lakes community, within the 19,000-student Community Unit School District 300. Located on a 15-acre campus, the charter school is hosted in one of seven planned, brand new educational facilities, according to the schools website: Three have been built and next buildings will be added to meet enrollment needs. Campus activities include the charter school, Cambridge Lakes Preschool, the Cambridge Adult Learning Center, and Schools Out. In planning [are the] Cambridge Academy for accelerated learning and Cambridge Academy On-line. Like new teachers, new schools typically need a full year (or two) to adjust to unique student needs and unforeseen challenges. For the time being, this pattern appears to hold true at Cambridge Lakes Charter School, with the school improving its overall ISAT scores in a year when surrounding district schools saw slight drop off. 900 Wester Blvd Pingree Grove, IL 60140 847-464-4300 Opened: 2007 Grades Served: K-8

DEMOGRAPHICS
Cambridge Lakes
Enrollment White % Black % Hispanic % Asian % Other % LEP % Low Income % 477 57.0 2.7 16.1 16.4 7.8 0.4 9.6

CUSD 300
19,680 58.0 4.9 27.4 5.7 4.1 11.3 34.4

SCHOOL-WIDE PERFORMANCE
Cambridge Lakes
Attendance % Truant % ISAT 2010 Composite Score % Meet or Exceed State Standard ISAT 2010 Composite Score Change from previous year 94.2 0.4 86 2.0

CUSD 300
94.7 5.4 78 1.0

GRADE-BY-GRADE STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Cambridge Lakes
Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math Grade 3 Writing Grade 4 Reading Grade 4 Math Grade 4 Science Grade 5 Reading Grade 5 Math Grade 5 Writing Grade 6 Reading Grade 6 Math Grade 6 Writing Grade 7 Reading Grade 7 Math Grade 7 Science Grade 8 Reading Grade 8 Math Grade 8 Writing 71 86 71 73 81 76 78 98 70 92 95 83 85 100 96 87 97 86

CUSD 300
71 86 74 75 89 80 76 86 70 85 86 76 82 87 85 85 86 72

Cambridge Lakes Charter School performed above the district average in 3 out of 4 school-wide student performance comparisons.

CHARTER RATING KEY

Above District Average Equal to district performance Below district performance

Cambridge Lakes Charter School performed above the district average in 11 out of 18 grade-by-grade student performance comparisons.

Page 7 of 12

Galapagos Rockford Charter School

Galapagos Rockford Charter School opened its doors in September 2009, becoming the second of three charter schools approved in the Rockford Public School 205 district. Housed in the former St. Patrick School in Rockford, Galapagos began its inaugural year enrolling 94 students from kindergarten through grade 3. Modeled after Chicagos Galapagos Charter Schoola kindergarten through grade 8 school located in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of ChicagoGalapagos plans to double its enrollment next year as it gradually expands to include kindergarten through grade 8 students. According to the schools website, Galapagos mixes a strong foundation of core knowledge with analytical thinking skills. Galapagoss curriculum includes reading and writing studentfocused workshops, a Singapore mathematics curriculum, Spanish instruction, and college 101 philosophy meant to expose elementary students to the college experience. Galapagoss first year ISAT composite scores outdid district-wide results and Galapagoss grade 3 students outperformed their district-wide peers in 2 of 3 grade level performance measures. 2605 School St Rockford, IL 61101 815-708-7946 Opened: 2009 Grades Served: K-3

DEMOGRAPHICS
Galapagos
Enrollment White % Black % Hispanic % Asian % Other % LEP % Low Income % 94 12.8 52.1 16 0 19.1 5.3 84

Rockford 205
27,181 37.1 29.6 23.1 3.4 6.7 10.2 75.3

SCHOOL-WIDE PERFORMANCE
Galapagos
Attendance % Truant % ISAT 2010 Composite Score % Meet or Exceed State Standard ISAT 2010 Composite Score Change from previous year 94.4 3.3

Rockford 205
92.1 6.1

GRADE-BY-GRADE STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Galapagos
Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math Grade 3 Writing 61 74 74

Rockford 205
57 77 45

67

63

Galapagos Rockford Charter School performed above the district average in 2 out of 3 grade-by-grade student performance comparisons. N/A 0

LOW-INCOME STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Galapagos
Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math Grade 3 Writing 59 73 73

Galapagos Rockford Charter School performed above the district average in 3 out of 3 school-wide student performance comparisons.

Rockford 205
51 74 41

CHARTER RATING KEY

Above District Average Equal to district performance Below district performance

Galapagos Rockford Charter School performed above the district average in 2 out of 3 low-income student performance comparisons.

Page 8 of 12

Legacy Academy of Excellence

Opened in the fall of 2009, Legacy Academy of Excellence became the first charter school approved by the Rockford school board as part of a citywide interest to bring school choice to Rockfords struggling public school system. Legacy began the 2009-10 school year enrolling kindergarten through fifth grade classes with plans to eventually serve students from kindergarten through grade 8. According to the schools website, Legacys curriculum incorporates Core Knowledge, Direct Instruction and International Baccalaureate Reform Models. Even though Legacys test results fell short of district average for the first year, charter schools in Illinois typically demonstrate an immediate upward trend in performance after their first year. Hopefully, this will be true at Legacy Academy of Excellence as well. 4029 Prairie Rd Rockford, IL 61102 815-968-4590 Opened: 2009 Grades Served: K-5

DEMOGRAPHICS
Legacy Academy
Enrollment White % Black % Hispanic % Asian % Other % LEP % Low Income % 269 19.7 68 6.7 0 5.6 1.9 85.5

Rockford 205
27,181 37.1 29.6 23.1 3.4 6.7 10.2 75.3

SCHOOL-WIDE PERFORMANCE
Legacy Academy
Attendance % Truant % ISAT 2010 Composite Score % Meet or Exceed State Standard ISAT 2010 Composite Score Change from previous year 93.1 0.8 52

GRADE-BY-GRADE STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Rockford 205
92.1 6.1 63 Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math Grade 3 Writing Grade 4 Reading Grade 4 Math Grade 4 Science Grade 5 Reading

Legacy Academy
34 49 35 50 60 48 62 73 23

Rockford 205
57 77 45 59 77 61 61 75 42

N/A

Grade 5 Math Grade 5 Writing

Legacy Academy of Excellence performed above the district average in 2 out of 3 school-wide student performance comparisons.

Legacy Academy of Excellence performed above the district average in 1 out of 9 grade-by-grade student performance comparisons.

LOW-INCOME STUDENT PERFORMANCE Legacy Academy

Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math Grade 3 Writing Grade 4 Reading Grade 4 Math Grade 4 Science Grade 5 Reading Grade 5 Math Grade 5 Writing

Rockford 205
51 74 41 53 74 55 55 71 39

CHARTER RATING KEY

Above District Average Equal to district performance Below district performance

33 49 34 46 54 46 65 74 26

Legacy Academy of Excellence performed above the district average in 2 out of 9 low-income student performance comparisons.

Page 9 of 12

Prairie Crossing Charter School

1531 Jones Point Rd Located in suburban Grayslake, Prairie Crossing Charter School was named one of the nations best charter schools by the Center for Education Reform in 2007. The D.C. based organization lauded Prairie Crossings academic achievements and was especially impressed with the charter schools innovative curriculum that uses an ecological, integrated, experimental approach to learning [in order] to develop students who demonstrate environmental stewardship and global citizenship. Prairie Crossing Charter School is the only charter school in Illinois to enroll students from multiple districts. Students from Fremont 79 and Woodland 50 are eligible to attend the charter school. Prairie Crossing is also unique in that is the only charter school in Illinois to answer solely to the Illinois State Board of Education. Grayslake, IL 60030 847-543-9722 Opened: 2000 Grades Served: K-8 Waiting List: 140

DEMOGRAPHICS
Prairie Crossing
Enrollment White % Black % Hispanic % Asian % Other % LEP % Low Income % 362 77.9 0.8 3.9 11.3 6.1 0 1.4

Fremont Woodland 79 50
2,125 72.9 2.6 8.6 10.4 5.5 9.9 6 6,840 56 8.1 20.2 12.7 2.9 7.8 22.1

SCHOOL-WIDE PERFORMANCE
Prairie Crossing Fremont 79 Woodland 50 Weighted Average

GRADE-BY-GRADE STUDENT PERFORMANCE

95.3 0.2

Attendance % Truant % ISAT 2010 Composite Score % Meet or Exceed State Standard ISAT 2010 Composite Score Change from previous year

95.6 0

95.4 0

95.3 0.2

Prairie Crossing
Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math Grade 3 Writing Grade 4 Reading Grade 4 Math Grade 4 Science Grade 5 Reading Grade 5 Math 91 95 91 85 98 98 95 100 75 98 100 95 95 98 95 100 100 93

Fremont Woodland Weighted 79 50 Average

88 99 76 86 94 91 92 96 57 94 95 91 94 95 95 96 95 87 81 92 68 82 89 84 80 88 51 88 92 77 84 93 91 88 89 68 83 94 70 83 90 86 83 90 52 89 93 80 86 93 92 90 90 73

96

93

87

88.4

0.2

Grade 5 Writing Grade 6 Reading Grade 6 Math Grade 6 Writing Grade 7 Reading Grade 7 Math Grade 7 Science Grade 8 Reading

Prairie Crossing Charter School performed above the district average in 3 out of 4 school-wide student performance comparisons.

CHARTER RATING KEY

Above District Average Equal to district performance Below district performance

Grade 8 Math Grade 8 Writing

Prairie Crossing Charter School performed above the district average in 18 out of 18 grade-by-grade student performance comparisons.

Page 10 of 12

Robertson Charter School

Located in Decatur, Robertson Charter School began as a dream according to the schools website. The idea was to provide an alternative educational opportunity for students and their families living in Decatur, Illinois. After nearly 18 months of preparation, the school was opened in July 2001 with 67 students. The initial site of the school was a converted office space. Today, the school enrolls 236 students, and is located in a school building. Robertsons recent test results have earned high praise from the Illinois State board of Education. Due to the high demand for enrollment, Robertson is building a new wing that includes a state-of-the-art gymnasium, science labs, and classrooms. The new wing would add capacity for 70 additional students. 2240 East Geddes Ave Decatur, IL 62522 217-428-7072 Opened: 2001 Grades Served: K-8 Waiting List: 408
Robertson
Enrollment White % Black % Hispanic % Asian % Other % LEP % Low Income % 236 3.4 90.3 0.4 0 5.9 0 91.5

DEMOGRAPHICS
Decatur 61
8,739 44 44.6 1.7 0.9 8.7 0.7 69.5

SCHOOL-WIDE PERFORMANCE
Robertson
Attendance % Truant % ISAT 2010 Composite Score % Meet or Exceed State Standard ISAT 2010 Composite Score Change from previous year 95.3 0 72

Decatur 61
91.3 5.4 69

GRADE-BY-GRADE STUDENT PERFORMANCE

LOW-INCOME STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Robert- Decatur son 61

Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math Grade 3 Writing Grade 4 Reading

Robert- Decatur son 61

Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math Grade 3 Writing Grade 4 Reading Grade 4 Math Grade 4 Science Grade 5 Reading Grade 5 Math Grade 5 Writing Grade 6 Reading Grade 6 Math Grade 6 Writing Grade 7 Reading Grade 7 Math Grade 7 Science Grade 8 Reading Grade 8 Math Grade 8 Writing

71 67 35 72 68 40 81 86 24 82 89 85 56 84 48 84 74 55

70 79 44 64 78 66 66 77 38 77 79 51 65 74 69 70 71 42

71 67 35 70 65 39 83 83 22 80 89 83 64 86 46 88 75 54

66 77 42 58 74 59 62 75 34 73 76 47 61 70 66 63 66 36

Grade 4 Math Grade 4 Science Grade 5 Reading Grade 5 Math Grade 5 Writing Grade 6 Reading

Robertson Charter School performed above the district average in 3 out of 4 school-wide student performance comparisons.

CHARTER RATING KEY

Above District Average Equal to district performance Below district performance

Grade 6 Math Grade 6 Writing Grade 7 Reading Grade 7 Math Grade 7 Science Grade 8 Reading Grade 8 Math Grade 8 Writing

Robertson Charter School performed above the district average in 11 out of 18 grade-by-grade student performance comparisons.

Robertson Charter School performed above the district average in 12 out of 18 low-income student performance comparisons.

Page 11 of 12

Southern Illinois University East St. Louis Charter School

Opened in the fall of 2000, the SIU East St. Louis Charter School enrolls students from one of the states most beleaguered communities. Moreover, the school itself focuses on enrolling many of that communitys most challenging students. Initially begun as a school for high school dropouts, the small charter high school has evolved into an attractive alternative to East St. Louiss large, lone district-run high school. Particularly attractive to students, according to school staff, is the fine arts curriculum and after school activities offered by the charter school. Due to comparatively low performance test scores, SIU East St. Louis Charter School has repeatedly, beginning with its first charter proposal, sought to open an elementary and middle school of their charter school, an idea rejected by the district. However, SIU East St. Louis Charter School graduated all of its 22 seniors this year and kept truancy percentages low compared to the district average. 601 James R Thompson East Saint Louis, IL 62201 618-482-8370 Grades Served: 9-12 Opened: 2000 Waiting List: 16

DEMOGRAPHICS
SIU
Enrollment White % Black % Hispanic % Asian % Other % LEP % Low Income % 106 0.9 99.1 0 0 0 0 0.9

East SL 189
7,374 0.2 98.2 1.3 0 0.2 0.3 77.3

SCHOOL-WIDE PERFORMANCE
SIU
Attendance % Truant % HS Graduation % PSAE 2010 Composite Score % Meet or Exceed State Standard PSAE 2010 Composite Score Change from previous year 89.2 2 100 N/A

East SL 189
91.1 25.3 79.3

CHARTER RATING KEY

57 Above District Average Equal to district performance Below district performance N/A 1

Southern Illinois University East St. Louis Charter School performed above the district average in 2 out of 3 schoolwide student performance comparisons.

Page 12 of 12

Springfield Ball Charter School

Ball Charter School is the only charter school in Springfield. The school has a number of unique features. Among them, grades are not issued to students from kindergarten to grade 6. Upon entering, students receive a learning continuum that becomes part of their school record. Until grade 7, parents have primary input over their childs learning continuum, whereupon teachers play a more assertive role in structuring course curriculum to prepare students for a smooth transition to high school. Ball Charter School has proven extremely popular with parents in Springfield. This past school year approximately 325 applications were submitted for 71 available seats, making the waiting list to get into Ball Charter the longest of any charter school outside of Chicago. 2530 E Ash St Springfield, IL 62703 217-525-3275 Opened: 1998 Grades Served: K-8 Waiting List: 317
Springfield 186
14,543 50.6 37.3 1.8 1.8 8.4 0.2 65.5

DEMOGRAPHICS
Ball
Enrollment White % Black % Hispanic % Asian % Other % LEP % Low Income % 446 44.8 41.9 2.2 3.1 7.8 0 45.1

SCHOOL-WIDE PERFORMANCE
Ball
Attendance % 95.4

GRADE-BY-GRADE STUDENT PERFORMANCE

LOW-INCOME STUDENT PERFORMANCE

Springfield 186
92

Ball
Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math Grade 3 Writing Grade 4 Reading Grade 4 Math Grade 4 Science Grade 5 Reading Grade 5 Math Grade 5 Writing Grade 6 Reading Grade 6 Math Grade 6 Writing Grade 7 Reading Grade 7 Math Grade 7 Science Grade 8 Reading Grade 8 Math Grade 8 Writing

Springfield 186
66 76 51 62 76 64 65 75 45 71 74 63 66 76 75 73 76 62
Grade 3 Reading Grade 3 Math Grade 3 Writing Grade 4 Reading Grade 4 Math Grade 4 Science Grade 5 Reading Grade 5 Math Grade 5 Writing Grade 6 Reading Grade 6 Math Grade 6 Writing Grade 7 Reading Grade 7 Math Grade 7 Science Grade 8 Reading Grade 8 Math Grade 8 Writing

Ball
69 84 47 75 75 63 67 89 50 80 85 60 64 71 79 75 75 56

Springfield 186
57 69 43 53 70 55 57 69 41 64 67 55 56 68 65 65 66 53

81 88 54 82 86 82 76 85 50 85 93 71 83 88 93 86 88 74

1.5 Truant % 4.2 ISAT 2010 Composite Score 85 67 % Meet or Exceed State Standard ISAT 2010 Composite Score 4 2 Change from previous year Springfield Ball Charter School performed above the district average in 4 out of 4 school-wide student performance comparisons.

CHARTER RATING KEY

Above District Average Equal to district performance Below district performance

Springfield Ball Charter School performed above the district average in 18 out of 18 gradeby-grade student performance comparisons.

Springfield Ball Charter School performed above the district average in 18 out of 18 low-income student performance comparisons.

illinois policy institute 802 South Second Street Springfield, IL 62704 www.illinoispolicy.org