Sample+Annual+Project+Essay


 * The Impact of Charter Schools in the USA**

Charter schools are a relatively new invention in the USA, but they have grown rapidly. In the past twenty years, more than [|5,600 new charter schools] have opened. So how have charter schools improved education for urban students? Charter schools have improved education for urban students by increasing their academic opportunities, setting high expectations for behavior, and giving parents more choice.

One of the biggest effects of charter schools have been the impact they have had on students academics. According to a [|study] performed by researchers from Stanford University, students from charter schools in New York City did better on New York State exams than students from other New York City public schools. At the Harlem Success Academy Schools, [|93% of students passed the state exam], compared to only 53% in the school district. While Harlem Success is an elementary school, kids in high school perform better too. [|33% of students] who go through KIPP schools graduate from college. This may not seem like a lot, but only 8% of similar students from other schools earn a Bachelor's Degree. There is obvious academic impact.

Charter schools also help by setting high expectations for student behavior, which may not be the case in regular public schools. At the Edward Burke Charter School in Massachusetts, kids learn core values using the acronym,[| F.I.R.S.T]. The values are Focus, Integrity, Respect, Self-Determination, and Teamwork. Some schools, like Uncommon Schools in Brooklyn, do this by creating a [|clear set of behavioral expectations], with rewards for positive behavior and zero-tolerance for dangerous behavior. Lastly, good charter schools also [|hire and train teachers] who are able to enforce these high behavioral expectations. It is clear that students in charter schools are learning how to behave.

A final way in which charter schools have improved education is by giving parents more choice about their child's education. Public schools already exist, but for a new charter to be approved, it [|needs to show that parents in the community are asking for it.] As mentioned above, the demand for charters is growing, as more that 5,600 new charter schools have opened in the USA since the movement began, and [|40 different states] now have charter schools. In New York City, that means there is a giant wait list for spots in charter schools. A study by the New York City Charter Center showed that there are [|five kids on a wait-list for every student enrolled in a charter school]. Parents want their kids in charter schools.

Charter schools have grown greatly over the last twenty years. They have a track record of academic success, setting high behavioral expectations, and giving parents choice. I think they will be around for a long time.