Charter schools in Utah

in  Utah

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Education policy in the U.S.
Public education in the U.S.
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Charter schools in the U.S.
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Charter schools in Utah 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 111 total charter schools in Utah in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 64,800 students.

* Overall, charter school students accounted for 10.03 percent of total public school enrollment in Utah in 2015.

* The Utah State Legislature approved the state's charter school law in 1998.

## 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 Utah State Legislature approved Utah's charter school law in 1998.

The concept of creating public charter schools as alternatives to traditional public schools was first brought to public attention in the late 1980s by a small group of policymakers and educators. The notion gained traction in the early 1990s, and 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]

The Utah State Legislature approved Utah's charter school law in 1998. A comprehensive history of Utah's charter school legislation can be accessed here.

# Participation[edit]

According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, a charter school advocacy group, there were an estimated 111 total charter schools in Utah in the 2015-2016 school year. These schools enrolled approximately 64,800 students. Overall, charter school students accounted for 10.03 percent of total public school enrollment in Utah in 2015.[6]

Charter schools, 2015-2016

State  | Total number of charter schools  | Estimated enrollment  | Percentage of total public school enrollment
Utah | 111 | 64,800 | 10.03%
Arizona | 535 | 177,600 | 15.90%
Colorado | 226 | 108,800 | 12.26%
Nevada | 38 | 34,000 | 7.41%
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 Utah 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.[7][8]

Enrollments by ethnicity, 2013-2014 (as percentages)

Data sample  | White  | Black  | Hispanic  | Asian  | Other
Charter schools in Utah | 79.0% | 1.0% | 13.0% | 2.0% | 5.0%
Public schools in Utah | 76.3% | 1.3% | 16.0% | 1.7% | 4.6%
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:[9]

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 Utah as of June 2016. Click [show] to expand the table's contents.

Charter school authorizers in Utah, June 2016

Authorizer  | Authorizer type
Cache County School District | LEA
Davis Applied Technology College | LEA
Iron County School District | LEA
Jordan School District | LEA
Logan School District | LEA
Salt Lake City School District | LEA
Utah State Charter School Board | ICB
Weber State University | HEI
Source: National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "Utah Authorizers," accessed June 15, 2016

### Enrollment regulations[edit]

Utah law requires that all applicants be admitted into a charter school. Preference must be given to students who would have attended the public school in that charter's district. Charter schools may also give preference based on the following criteria, if written in the charter:

“  |

* Students whose parents were actively involved in the development of the charter school (Founders)
* Students who have a sibling currently attending the charter school
* Students returning from the previous school year
* Students who reside within the school district where the charter school is located
* Students who reside in the municipality in which the school is located
* Students who reside within a two mile radius from the school
* Students whose parent is a licensed classroom teacher in the charter school[10][3]

| ”

|
|

### Funding[edit]

In Utah, charter schools receive a portion of their funding from the state.

The way charter schools are financed differs from state to state, and even between districts within states. In Utah, charter schools are financed much like traditional schools. Schools receive funding from the state which "follows the student" should the student change schools. Charters are able to file for specialized funding based on need. Specialized funding includes aid for students with disabilities, among other things.[10]

### Accountability[edit]

See also: Accountability measures for charter schools

Utah charter schools are required to submit the same annual reports that traditional schools submit to the state education board. These reports include budget and financial information as well as data on academic performance. Charter schools are also required to participate in all of Utah's standardized testing. These reports are submitted directly to the state board of education.[10]

### 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. Utah's law ranked 20 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 Utah's score with that of neighboring states. To access the full report, including methodology, click here.[11]

Charter school law rankings, January 2016

State  | 2016 ranking  | 2015 ranking  | Ranking difference  | 2016 score  | 2015 score  | Score difference
Utah | 20 | 18 | -2 | 145 | 145 | 0
Arizona | 10 | 12 | 2 | 154 | 151 | 3
Colorado | 5 | 6 | 1 | 165 | 159 | 6
Nevada | 8 | 14 | 6 | 162 | 150 | 12
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.[12]

### 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. The disparity in Utah was 21.00 percent, earning the state a D grade. Charter schools in the state received on average $1,687 less per pupil than traditional public schools.[13]

Below is a chart that compares Utah's grade and funding disparity 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
Utah | D | $8,039 | $6,352 | -$1,687 | -21.00%
Arizona | D | $9,532 | $7,783 | -$1,749 | -18.40%
Colorado | D | $11,102 | $8,786 | -$2,316 | -20.90%
Nevada | 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, 77 schools in Utah were freestanding and one operated under education management organizations.[14]

Utah has two charter school advocacy organizations and one state authorizer.

The Utah Association of Public Charter Schools is a 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that was formed in 2002. It began as a small group of parents whose children were students in the first seven charter schools in the state. The Center for Education Reform contacted that group of parents about hosting an event for all charter schools. This event was a success and motivated its leaders to create a formal organization.[15]

The second of Utah's major charter advocacy organizations is the Utah Charter Network. The network maintains a directory of resources that it makes available for members and other interested parties.[16]

The Utah State Charter School Board is a seven-member board of individuals appointed by the state's governor. The board is primarily responsible for authorizing charter schools. Any charter schools authorized by the charter school board must then be approved by the broader Utah State Board of Education. Once a charter school has been authorized and approved, the charter school board is responsible for all oversight regarding that school.[17]

### 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 Utah, an average of 21 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 Utah as a percentage of all charter schools in the state. The figures are compared with those in surrounding states.[18]

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
Utah | 27% | 19% | 4% | 27% | 15% | 31% | 21%
Arizona | 40% | 15% | 10% | 31% | 13% | 25% | 22%
Colorado | 45% | 36% | 5% | 29% | 5% | 21% | 24%
Nevada | 57% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 0% | 7% | 14%
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 Utah ballot measures

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

### Legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent charter school bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Utah 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 Utah charter school. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Charter schools in Utah - Google News

## See also[edit]

* Charter schools
* Charter school statistics for all 50 states
* School choice
* Public education in Utah
* School choice in Utah
* Utah 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 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. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "A Closer Look at the Charter School Movement," February 3, 2016
7. ↑ 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
8. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Charter Public School Movement: A State-by-State Analysis," March 2016
9. ↑ National Association of Charter School Authorizers, "Types of Authorizers," accessed June 6, 2016
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Utah State Office of Education, "Charter schools: Frequently asked questions," accessed November 26, 2014
11. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "Measuring Up To The Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws," January 2016
12. ↑ The New York Review of Books, "The Myth of Charter Schools," November 11, 2010
13. ↑ University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform, "Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands," accessed October 22, 2014
14. ↑ National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, "The Health of the Public Charter School Movement: A State-By-State Analysis," accessed October 3, 2014
15. ↑ Utah Association of Public Charter Schools, "About UAPCS," accessed November 26, 2014
16. ↑ Utah Charter Network, "About UCN," accessed November 26, 2014
17. ↑ Utah Education Facts, "Utah State Charter School Board," accessed November 26, 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

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