Understanding the charter school model

Before we get started on reading instruction—what is a charter school?

Like traditional public schools, they’re non-selective, publicly funded, and tuition-free. But rather than being part of a traditional public school district which dictates a curriculum, charter schools are established by private groups and operate with a much greater degree of autonomy under individual standards agreements (‘charters’) with the state or local administration, either individually or part of a charter management organization. They’re known for having a lot more freedom when it comes to what they teach and how they teach it, as long as they adhere to a set of standards and thresholds they’ve agreed with the local administration.

They are, however, still legally obligated to fulfill IEPs and 504 plans in the same manner as traditional public school settings and provide Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to all students, including those with disabilities.

On pandemics and parental acclaim

Charter schools are experiencing a wave of parent popularity. Enrollment at traditional public schools fell at a sharp rate during the early part of the pandemic period: they’ve seen around 1.5 million children removed from their rolls since 2019, and the charter sector has picked up around 300,000 of them—an enrolment growth increase of 9%.

A student body boost of 9% over less than a decade is a seismic shift in parental choice. And it’s not just limited to areas where funding models are most geared towards supporting schools with charter status, like Arizona and Washington DC: according to research by The 74, charter school enrolment is up in 40 out of 42 states.

It’s showing little signs of slowing as we enter the post-pandemic period: the 2023-4 school year has seen a further 83,000 learners enroll at charter schools. This makes them the only type of public school to experience consistent growth over the 2020-4 period.  

5 reasons why parents chose charter schools for a pandemic switch

Reason #1: Flexibility and innovation.

Charter schools were to adapt to the new mode of learning more quickly, changing their teaching methodologies to fit the new normal—meaning learning got back on track remotely far faster than in most traditional public schools.

Reason #2: Smaller class sizes.

Charter schools often have smaller student bodies and class sizes than traditional public schools, meaning learners benefit from more contact time with educators. Just under a third of California parents who switched to a charter setting during the pandemic expressed dissatisfaction with the individual support that their learners were receiving. 

Reason #3: Dissatisfaction with TPS environments.

Some parents turned to charter settings for alternative learning environments, due to concerns about issues like standards, student mental health, and resourcing.

Reason #4: Remote learning resourcing.

Charter settings were better prepared to administer a remote education as many have smaller student bodies and better funding and technology provision.

Reason #5: Covid-19 safety.

31% of California families who switched their learners to charter schools over the pandemic cited doubt in large TPS settings’ ability to control the spread of the virus as a primary reason. 

Charter schools and reading instruction

America is struggling with a literacy crisis. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data, most students graduate without reaching reading proficiency.

However, research suggests that charter schools boost student skill growth in literacy by far more than their traditional public school (TPS) counterparts. A 2023 study conducted by the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University estimated that, based on a traditional 180-day school year, students who were enrolled at charter schools advanced their learning in reading by an extra 16 days compared to those in a TPS.

It’s most interesting to note that many of those upward trends have continued regardless of pandemic-era instruction: for example, the percentage of students enrolled in APLUS+ ‘Personalized Learning’ charter schools in California who met or exceeded the English Language Arts (ELA) standard increased from 47% in 2018-19 to 49% in 2021-22.

It’s rare to see skill growth across any datasets captured during the pandemic, and especially those related to literacy—so it’s important that we note any way we can replicate this in all settings as we move further into the middle of the decade and a period of learning recovery.

Charter settings and reading in students with learning disabilities

However, some learners need more support learning to read than their peers. We know that charter settings seem to foster a better standard of reading across the student body—but what about students with disabilities and reading needs, like those who have dyslexia?

I.  Charter schools for dyslexia

Some charter settings in the US focus on specialist provision for dyslexia. These schools administer a specialist curriculum that’s designed to support the development of literacy skills in students with disabilities like dyslexia. These schools have some of the strongest outcomes for students with dyslexia in the US, alongside private schools with a dedicated dyslexia program and Montessori schools.

II. Standard provision or alternative focus charter schools

When it comes to non-specialist charter schools, answers are less linear. The national nonprofit Center for Learner Equityconcluded that their data doesn’t quite support the idea that charter schools are outperforming their district-run peers on several key metrics when it comes to all students with disabilities.

But many have found the opposite to be true, too: a quick flick through social media on the topic demonstrates that thousands of parents and educators alike purport the ability to administer personalized reading instruction actually boosts reading test scores in learners with reading needs.

The picture we have is bright, albeit slightly blurred in parts. While it’s true that charter schools administer literacy more successfully to the whole student body, and dyslexia-specific charter schools are some of the most successful in fostering literacy in students with dyslexia or related reading needs, the literacy-learning experience of students in non-specific or alternative-focus charter schools likely varies more across the sector.

What is it about charter settings that have the potential to create such a strong reading foundation?

The ability to create individualized plans and methodologies.

When a reader is struggling, whether that’s due to learning disabilities like dyslexia or simply a skill gap that’s emerged in previous grades, charter schools have a lot more freedom to let learners ‘read it their way’. This might mean seeking out different support sources or simply letting learners apply the degree of support they need to each individual task rather than using a one-size-fits-all reading intervention procedure.

More freedom to choose reading and learning materials, and let interest lead the way.

Most traditional public schools don’t have the freedom to choose learning materials like instructional programs and set texts. But charter schools often can: this means it’s a lot easier to pursue the idea that all reading is good reading and blend reading instruction with learner interest. This introduces the idea that reading isn’t just something to learn and happens in a classroom—it can be something that they find fun, engaging, and can engage in as a leisure activity too.

Learners with disabilities in charter schools spend much more time in the classroom.

Students with disabilities spend more time in the classroom with their peers than students in TPS settings. When they learn with a higher level of inclusion, and they’re not cut off from their peers, learner confidence skyrockets and we avoid the feelings of isolation and stigma that characterize the experiences of a distressingly large number of learners who need extra support in TPS settings.

And they also have more contact time with people who can support their reading needs.

On the whole, charter schools have smaller class sizes than TPS settings—and this is important when we come to consider reading instruction, as especially during the foundational stages, many learners require one-on-one support. That’s difficult when you’re one educator at the head of a class of 25 students because as hard as they try, teachers can’t be in two places at once… meaning some support needs may go unfilled.

So how do we replicate the benefits of a charter school reading instruction in a TPS setting?

The charter reading model's core strengths can be summarized under three main headings: adaptability, personalization, and consistent access to support.

When you’re teaching in a traditional public school setting, it can be harder to replicate the more learner-led reading instruction benefits that characterize a charter school setting. TPS class sizes are often larger, their teachers are often under a larger administrative burden, and instructional methodologies are dictated by the district—so it’s a little harder to let learners choose their own path when it comes to reading, their personal reading methodology and their unique support needs relevant to any one task. 

Luckily, we live in an era where tech can simplify those tasks and ease the pain points on those reading journeys so that every student can read it their way.

C-Pen Reader 3: A reading pen designed for saving reading futures!

Reader 3 is a brand-new reading support tool by the reading pen experts at C-Pen. It’s a reading pen designed for a reading rescue: so whether your students have learning disabilities like dyslexia or pandemic learning loss has them reading behind their grade level, it's up for the challenge and primed for the task.

Created alongside teacher feedback and in direct response to the reading crisis at hand, it’s designed to save reading futures by putting learners back in the driving seat, giving them the freedom to read anywhere and customize the exact support package they need—all using one handy little portable, rechargeable text-to-speech reading pen.

✅ Create reading support frameworks as unique as your learners

Reader 3 lets readers choose their support. With fully customizable reading speed, word pause, and language and accent options, it means they can adapt their support experience to their needs. The pen format plays a part, too—it’s easy to pick up and put down, meaning it’s always on hand for a challenge, but it’s easy to put down if they feel they’re ready to flex their reading muscles solo-style.

✅ Let interest lead the way so they can read anything and anywhere!

Portable and pencil-case-sized, Reader 3 gives students the freedom to read wherever they are! The ability to pick up any book and read it with ease is a huge step in unlocking fluency and confidence, so even if they can’t choose set texts they encounter in the classroom, they can choose what they read for individual projects, for support reading, and for fun!

✅ Boost inclusion and keep students in the classroom

Sometimes reading support needs mean a learner is best served spending some learning time outside the classroom with one-to-one support—but this often leads to feelings of isolation and otherness, as well as costly resourcing bills for schools. But with Reader 3, reliable, in-depth reading support can be fully classroom-based, and the headphones keep things discreet.

✅ And always have a reading support professional nearby!

We know that finding—and financing—enough reading support professionals to meet a school's reading needs is difficult, so learners can often go without the personal support they need. But with Reader 3, they’ve always got a dedicated reading tutor to hand who can help them decode words, decipher meanings, and practice their reading and vocabulary… with no ongoing costs.

…all of which sound a little familiar if we return to the list of reasons why the charter school model of reading instruction seems to create such a nurturing and stimulating environment for reading instruction.

And with C-Pen Reader 3 on hand, learners have the confidence they need to thrive in lessons and the customizability to create a unique learning support system—which means there’s less pressure on school resourcing and on teachers, whose in-class bandwidth might be compromised by ever-increasing class sizes, support needs, and administrative expectations.

Get started with a

FREE Reader 3 trial!

Ready to revolutionize reading support and let your learners lead the way every day? You can claim your FREE educator trial of C-Pen Reader 3by heading to our US Trials Hub today!

…And we’re a pretty talkative bunch. If you want to speak to one of our reading support experts about supporting the reading needs in your district, school, or classroom, we’re always happy to explore in-depth solutions for your setting!

📧 Send us an email: usinfo@scanningpens.com

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