Charter schools in Louisiana

in  Louisiana

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Education policy in the U.S.
Public education in the U.S.
School choice in the U.S.
Charter schools in the U.S.
Higher education in the U.S.
Glossary of education terms
Education statistics

Charter schools in Louisiana are public schools operated independently of public school systems. Although they are largely publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As public schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or impose special entrance requirements; students are usually admitted through a lottery process if demand exceeds the number of spaces available in a school. Charter schools generally receive a percentage of the per-pupil funds from the state and local school districts for operational costs based on enrollment. In most states, charter schools do not receive funds for facilities or start-up costs; therefore, they must rely to some extent on private donations. The federal government also provides revenues through special grants. As of March 2017, 44 states and the District of Columbia had approved legislation authorizing the creation of public charter schools. Six states had not.

HIGHLIGHTS

* According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 143 total charter schools in Louisiana in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 80,100 students.

* Overall, charter school students accounted for 11.21 percent of total public school enrollment in Louisiana in 2015.

* The Louisiana State Legislature approved the state's charter school law in 1995.

## Contents

* 1 Background
* 1.1 History
* 2 Participation
* 2.1 Demographics
* 3 State law
* 3.1 Authorizers
* 3.2 Enrollment regulations
* 3.3 Funding
* 3.4 Accountability
* 3.5 Charter school law rankings
* 4 Issues
* 4.1 Debate
* 4.2 Funding inequity
* 4.3 Charter school management organizations and other groups
* 4.4 Innovation
* 5 Ballot measures and legislation
* 5.1 Ballot measures
* 5.2 Legislation
* 6 Recent news
* 6.1 See also
* 6.2 External links
* 6.3 Footnotes

# Background[edit]

### History[edit]

The Louisiana State Legislature approved Louisiana's charter school law in 1995.

In 1991 Minnesota became the first state to pass a charter school law.[1]

The National Conference of State Legislatures defines charter schools as follows:[2]

“  |

Charter schools are publicly funded, privately managed and semi-autonomous schools of choice. They do not charge tuition. They must hold to the same academic accountability measures as traditional schools. They receive public funding similarly to traditional schools. However, they have more freedom over their budgets, staffing, curricula and other operations. In exchange for this freedom, they must deliver academic results and there must be enough community demand for them to remain open.[3]

| ”

|
|

—National Conference of State Legislatures

Across the nation, charter schools have grown in number since the passage of the first public charter school law. As of March 2017, 44 states plus the District of Columbia had enacted charter school laws, and in 2013 it was estimated that 4.6 percent of all public school students attended charter schools. Performance results of charter schools nationally have been mixed, with some performing demonstrably better and others closing because they could not meet required standards.[2][4][5]

Louisiana's Charter School Law took effect in 1995. The 1995 law established a pilot program, which allowed up to eight school districts to participate. In 1997, the law underwent substantial revisions. The 1997 law extended the charter school program to all school districts in the state but limited the total number of charter schools to 42. A constitutional amendment was passed in 2003 that "authorized [the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education] to take over 'failing schools' or provide for others to do so." In 2009, the Louisiana State Legislature removed the cap on the total number of charter schools.[6][7][8]

# Participation[edit]

According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 143 total charter schools in Louisiana in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 80,100 students. Overall, charter school students accounted for 11.21 percent of total public school enrollment in Louisiana in 2015.[9]

Charter schools, 2015-2016

State  | Total number of charter schools  | Estimated enrollment  | Percentage of total public school enrollment
Louisiana | 143 | 80,100 | 11.21%
Alabama | 0 | 0 | 0.00%
Arkansas | 50 | 23,700 | 4.92%
Mississippi | 2 | 200 | 0.04%
United States total | 6,824 | 2,930,600 | 5.85%
Note: The percentages in the column labeled "Percentage of total public school enrollment" were calculated by taking the estimated number of charter school students in a given state and dividing by the total estimated number of public school students in that state in 2015. Total public school enrollment estimates came from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016

### Demographics[edit]

See also: Charter school demographics and Demographic information for all students in the United States

The table below presents information about the race/ethnicity of charter school students in Louisiana in the 2013-2014 school year, as reported by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. To facilitate comparison, the same figures are also provided for all public school students.[10][11]

Enrollments by ethnicity, 2013-2014 (as percentages)

Data sample  | White  | Black  | Hispanic  | Asian  | Other
Charter schools in Louisiana | 18.0% | 74.0% | 4.0% | 2.0% | 2.0%
Public schools in Louisiana | 46.8% | 44.5% | 4.8% | 1.5% | 2.4%
Charter schools in the U.S. | 34.9% | 27.1% | 30.0% | 4.1% | 3.8%
Public schools in the U.S. | 50.3% | 15.6% | 24.8% | 4.8% | 4.4%
Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 203.70. Percentage distribution of enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by race/ethnicity and state or jurisdiction: Fall 2003 and fall 2013," accessed June 7, 2016
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Charter Public School Movement: A State-by-State Analysis," March 2016

# State law[edit]

### Authorizers[edit]

Charter school authorizers are, according to the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), the organizations "designated to approve, monitor, renew, and, if necessary, close charter schools." NACSA has identified six primary types of charter school authorizers:[12]

1. Higher education institutions (HEI)
2. Independent charter boards (ICB)
3. Local education agencies (LEA)
4. Non-education government entities (NEG)
5. Not-for-profit organizations (NFP)
6. State education agencies

The table below lists charter school authorizers in Louisiana as of June 2016. Click [show] to expand the table's contents.

Charter school authorizers in Louisiana, June 2016

Authorizer  | Authorizer type
Avoyelles Parish School Board | LEA
Calcasieu Parish School District | LEA
East Baton Rouge Parish School District | LEA
Jackson Parish Schools | LEA
Jefferson Parish Public Schools | LEA
Lafourche Parish School Board | LEA
Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education | LEA
Monroe City Schools | LEA
Morehouse Parish Schools | LEA
Orleans Parish School Board | LEA
Union Parish School Board | LEA
Source: National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "Louisiana Authorizers," accessed June 15, 2016

### Enrollment regulations[edit]

Charter schools are permitted to utilize "mission-oriented, non-achievement based admissions criteria." Specific enrollment criteria vary according to the type of charter school. Generally speaking, the following rules apply:[13]

1. Type 1 charter schools "can only enroll students within the school district in which the school is located unless an agreement is reached with another school district for the transfer of ... funding for students residing in that alternate district."
2. Type 2 charter schools "can enroll students from across the state."
3. Type 3 charter schools "must serve all students already enrolled at the time of the conversion [and] may give preference to students within the school's geographic community when designing procedures for enrolling new students."
4. Type 5 charter schools "must serve all students already enrolled at the time of takeover [and] may reserve up to 50 percent of seats for students within neighborhood geographic boundaries."

### Funding[edit]

In Louisiana, some charter schools receive their funding directly from the state.

Charter schools authorized by local school boards receive funding from local school districts. State-authorized charter schools are directly funded by the state. According to the Education Commission of the States, funding amounts are calculated as follows:[13][14]

“  | For locally-approved charter schools, state and school district operation funding follows students, based on average school district per-pupil revenue. For state-approved charter schools, funding is in the amount of the average per-pupil revenue of the resident school district.[3] | ”

|
|

—Education Commission of the States

Furthermore, the state provides no-interest loans to charter schools for start-up costs. These loans are available in amounts of up to $100,000.[14]

### Accountability[edit]

See also: Accountability measures for charter schools

Charter schools in Louisiana are not required to submit annual performance reports, but they must "undergo a review process by the authorizer every three years." Charter schools are subject to financial audits.[14]

According to the Education Commission of the States, a school's charter can be revoked if the school does any of the following:[14]

“  |

1. Failed to improve the academic performance of students on standardized tests over the term of the charter school's existence;
2. Committed a material violation of any of the conditions, standards or procedures provided for in the approved charter;
3. Failed to meet or pursue within the agreed timelines any of the academic and other educational results specified in the approved charter;
4. Failed to meet generally accepted accounting standards of fiscal management; or
5. Violated any provision of law applicable to a charter school, its officers or employees.[3]

| ”

|
|

—Education Commission of the States

### Charter school law rankings[edit]

In January 2016, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released a report ranking all of the nation's charter school laws. Louisiana's law ranked 4 out of 43. The organization ranked each state's law by considering what it called "20 essential components of a strong charter school law." The table below compares Louisiana's score with that of neighboring states. To access the full report, including methodology, click here.[15]

Charter school law rankings, January 2016

State  | 2016 ranking  | 2015 ranking  | Ranking difference  | 2016 score  | 2015 score  | Score difference
Louisiana | 4 | 2 | -2 | 167 | 167 | 0
Alabama | 2 | N/A | N/A | 175 | N/A | N/A
Arkansas | 29 | 30 | 1 | 132 | 128 | 4
Mississippi | 17 | 15 | -2 | 149 | 149 | 0
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016

# Issues[edit]

### Debate[edit]

Proponents of charter schools such as the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools argue that, due to their freedom from some state oversight and regulation, they can adopt more innovative educational approaches. This allows them to cater to their particular higher-risk school age populations, which are generally composed of more minority and poor students. In addition, advocates argue that charter schools empower parents and improve traditional public schools through competition.

Meanwhile, critics such as Diane Ravitch argue that charter schools have not been proven to produce significantly higher levels of academic achievement as promised. It is difficult to find data comparable to traditional public schools. Critics also contend that charter schools divert funds from traditional public schools, which continue to enroll significant majorities of public school students, thereby compounding problems at failing schools and generating unequal outcomes for students.[16]

### Funding inequity[edit]

In 2014, the University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform released a report identifying disparities between charter school funding and traditional public school funding. Examining 31 states, the researchers considered all sources of charter school funding, including public funds, grants, and philanthropic donations. Researchers found that charter schools received on average 28.4 percent less than traditional public schools. Tennessee's funding disparity was lowest at 0.1 percent, while Louisiana's was highest at 58.4 percent.[17]

Below is a chart that compares Louisiana's grade with those of surrounding states. To access the full report, click here.

Charter school funding disparity by state

State | Grade | District per-pupil revenue | Charter per-pupil revenue | Disparity in dollars | Disparity in percents
Louisiana | F | $26,735 | $11,134 | -$15,600 | -58.4%
Alabama | No charter school law
Arkansas | F | $12,521 | $8,392 | -$4,130 | -33.0%
Mississippi | Was not studied
Source: University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, "Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands," accessed October 22, 2014

### Charter school management organizations and other groups[edit]

See also: Charter school management organization

In the 2010-2011 school year, 47 schools in Louisiana were freestanding, 38 operated under charter management organizations, and five operated under education management organizations.[18]

The Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools is the state's charter school advocacy group. Its mission statement is as follows:[19]

“  | The mission of the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools is to support, promote, and advocate for the Louisiana charter school movement, increasing student access to high quality public schools statewide.[3] | ”

|
|

—Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools

### Innovation[edit]

See also: Charter school innovation indicators and High-performing charter schools

Charter school proponents argue that charter schools have the freedom to adopt more innovative practices, which in turn lead to improved academic performance. To get a sense of the level of innovation occurring in charter schools, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools surveyed charter schools across the country on the various innovative education practices they employed. In Louisiana, an average of 27 percent of charter schools reported using innovative practices in the 2011-2012 school year. The table below displays the prevalence of a variety of innovative practices in Louisiana as a percentage of all charter schools in the state. The figures are compared with those in surrounding states.[20]

Charter schools with innovative practices, in percents (2011-2012)

State  | Extended day  | Extended year  | Year-round calendar  | Independent study  | School-to-work  | Higher education courses  | Average
Louisiana | 54% | 46% | 13% | 29% | 8% | 13% | 27%
Alabama | No charter school law
Arkansas | 43% | 36% | 14% | 21% | 7% | 14% | 23%
Mississippi | No data available
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014

# Ballot measures and legislation[edit]

### Ballot measures[edit]

See also: School choice on the ballot and List of Louisiana ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked no statewide ballot measures relating to school choice in Louisiana.

### Legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Louisiana state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

# Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Louisiana charter school. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Charter schools in Louisiana - Google News

## See also[edit]

* Charter schools
* Charter school statistics for all 50 states
* School choice
* Public education in Louisiana
* School choice in Louisiana
* Louisiana Department of Education
* Charter school management organization

## External links[edit]

* National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
* National Association of Charter School Authorizers

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Public School Review, "What is a Charter School?" accessed October 2, 2014
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Charter School Finance," accessed October 9, 2014
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
4. ↑ Center for Research on Education Outcomes, "National Charter School Study," accessed October 9, 2014
5. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Total Number of Students," accessed October 9, 2014
6. ↑ Louisiana Public Broadcasting, "Charter Schools in Louisiana," accessed November 24, 2014
7. ↑ Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, "Charter Schools," accessed November 24, 2014
8. ↑ Louisiana Department of Education, "Expanding Quality Options: Louisiana Type 2, 4 and 5 Charter Schools: 2013-2014 Annual Report," December 2013
9. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016
10. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 203.70. Percentage distribution of enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by race/ethnicity and state or jurisdiction: Fall 2003 and fall 2013," accessed June 7, 2016
11. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Charter Public School Movement: A State-by-State Analysis," March 2016
12. ↑ National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "Types of Authorizers," accessed June 6, 2016
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Louisiana Department of Education, "Louisiana Charters 101: For Charter Applicants," February 2013
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Education Commission of the States, "Charter Schools Update 2014 - State Profile - Louisiana," June 2014
15. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016
16. ↑ The New York Review of Books, "The Myth of Charter Schools," November 11, 2010
17. ↑ University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, "Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands," accessed October 22, 2014
18. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014
19. ↑ Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, "About Us," accessed November 24, 2014
20. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014

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