Charter schools are doing well

Utah charter schools are doing well but could stand to boost parent involvement and cooperation with local school boards.

That's the upshot of a Utah State University evaluation and State Board of Education discussion surrounding Utah's eight original charter schools.

The Friday evaluation — a first regarding Utah charters — and state school board recommendations will be forwarded to the legislative Education Interim Committee later this month.

"Generally, charter schools are doing a good job of educating children," said report author Phil Rodgers of USU's Center for the School of the Future. "They are not perfect, however."

Charter schools offer parents a choice within the public school system. They are governed by boards of teachers and parents and receive federal backing.

Nationally, 2,500 charter schools have opened their doors to 500,000-plus students. Utah's 13 charter schools will enroll about 1,500 students. The Legislature also OK'd up to six high-tech charter high schools, supported by Gov. Mike Leavitt.

The study included school visits, test-score reviews, and opinions of school communities and local district leaders. It rated schools' performance on their purpose.

For instance, Pinnacle Canyon Academy in Price received exemplary marks in parent involvement and improving student learning.

The Success School's attention to learning style, Jean Massieu's focus on American Sign Language, and Center City School's national recognition for projects garnered exemplary marks in innovation.

But parent involvement, central to the school reform effort, was lackluster. And the CBA Center in Delta, Success School in South Salt Lake and Uintah River High School in Fort Duchesne, all of which cater to at-risk students, received poor marks.

The schools don't much affect local school districts, with the exception of Carbon, which is simultaneously shrinking and forwarding per-student dollars to Pinnacle Canyon.

The report recommends charter schools create measurable goals and handbooks detailing responsibilities and resources and better track student performance and document teacher qualifications.