Charter schools in New York City outperformed their peers in traditional public schools on state tests last spring, according to an analysis of state test score data. (Staten Island Advance/Annalise Knudson)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York City charter schools have outperformed traditional public schools in both reading and math, according to an analysis of state test score data.
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) recently released public scores for all schools across the state for the 2022-2023 grades 3-6 math and English language arts (ELA) assessments.
Each spring, students in grades 3-8 take part in standardized exams in reading and math — offering an idea of how well students are succeeding in those subjects. State exam scores also determine if a student receives academic intervention services, which are intended to increase achievement for students who struggle to meet the learning standards. Students are graded on a scale of 1-4, with 3 and 4 determining if a student is proficient in the subject.
Charter schools across New York City experienced higher rates of proficiency than traditional public schools, according to an analysis of data by the New York City Charter School Center, a hub of knowledge, energy and support for NYC’s charter community.
In reading, charter school students had 59% proficiency, versus 52% for public schools, according to the analysis. In math, that gap is 13 percentage points, with charter schools performing at 63% proficiency and public schools with 50%, the data showed.
The state has previously said that a year-by-year comparison would not be a fair assessment of data for test scores released, as learning standards have changed. In 2017, New York voted to replace Common Core with the New York State Next Generation Learning Standards — spending several years raising awareness and building capacity for the new standards. Last spring marked the first time that students statewide took standardized reading and math exams that aligned with the state’s Next Generation Learning Standards.
While a comparison isn’t a fair assessment, the New York City Charter School Center noted that there were larger gains in proficiency rates in math between 2022 and 2023 than the district — though there was little change in reading proficiency rates.
Charter school proficiency rates increased 17 percentage points in math compared to a district increase of 12 percentage points, while in reading, the gains were nearly the same (four percentage points for charter schools and three percentage points for district schools), according to the analysis.
Proficiency levels were also higher among demographic groups. Black and Hispanic students in charter schools — who make up 90% of enrolled students — received higher rates of proficiency than their counterparts in public schools in both reading and math, the data showed.
In reading, Black and Hispanic students in charter schools outperformed district counterparts by 19 percentage points (59% vs. 40%), and 16 percentage points (55% vs. 39%), respectively, according to the analysis. In math, Black and Hispanic charter school students outperformed district counterparts by 27 percentage points (61% vs. 34%), and 25 percentage points (61% vs. 36%), respectively.
CITYWIDE RESULTS
Data showed that 51.7% of all city public school students are proficient in reading, and 49.9% of students are proficient in math.
Here are the citywide proficiency levels by grade in math for public schools:
- 3rd grade: 55%
- 4th grade: 52.3%
- 5th grade: 50.5%
- 6th grade: 45.5%
- 7th grade: 51.2%
- 8th grade: 42.3%
Here are the citywide proficiency levels by grade in reading for public schools:
- 3rd grade: 48%
- 4th grade: 52.5%
- 5th grade: 49.9%
- 6th grade: 47.8%
- 7th grade: 51.7%
- 8th grade: 59.9%
FIND YOUR CHILD’S SCORES
The results of the English language arts (ELA) and math tests for students in grades 3-8 administered this past spring are available to city public school students to access through the NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) portal.
Simply sign in to your student’s account to view results of the state tests.
If you need support accessing the portal or would like to create an account, visit the NYC Schools website or contact your parent coordinator.
The portal allows you to see your child’s grades, test scores and more, while also providing classes to parents in Parent University. You are also able to report bullying, access forms for your child, reset your child’s DOE account password, and access the SupportHub.