Report finds failures, successes in debut of 'community schools'

by Andrew Welsh-Huggins
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBUS - Most of Ohio's first 15 charter schools failed to provide evidence that they met their educational goals in their first year and didn't explain how they evaluated student performance, according to a report released Wednesday.

In addition, most did not send their annual reports to parents, as required by law, and most school founders and directors were unfamiliar with their responsibilities for annual reports, according to the report prepared by the nonpartisan Legislative Office of Education Oversight.

The report is the first of several planned over the next five years on the "community schools" that a 1997 state law allows private companies and organizations to run with public money free from many state regulations.

"Some people think they're very good, some people think they're very bad," said state Sen. Robert Gardner, a Madison Republican and chairman of the office's legislative committee.

According to the report, most of the schools enrolled more students from poor families that the district they drew their students from.

"There appears to be no evidence that community schools in Ohio are 'skimming' wealthier students away from public schools," the report said.

The schools also enrolled a higher percentage of black students - 82 percent, compared with 63 percent in the corresponding school districts, according to the report.

Many charter schools reported problems with bussing students, a situation the report blamed on vagueness in state law.

"Community schools risk losing current and future students due to a lack of suitable transportation," he said.

On average, teachers in the charter schools had 4.2 years of experience and earned $22,070. Teachers in the corresponding public schools had 14.8 years of experience and earned $43,162.

To compile the report, committee staff visited the 15 schools twice from August 1998 through November 1999, interviewed school officials and reviewed school contracts and annual reports.

- compiled by staff and wire reports