Differences between Charter and Traditional Elementary Schools in Grade 3 Mathematics Performance

Abstract

Across the United States, parents of school-age children are faced with choices that were not available several decades ago (Campbell, Heyward, & Gross, 2017). School choice is a relatively new term in which parents are provided an option for their children’s educational setting. Because of this new option, competition between traditional public schools and charter schools may arise. Predicted in some education reform models (Hess, 2004) is that this competition will increase the rigor and strengthen instructional practices within public schools. In contrast, other scholars (e.g., Davis, 2013) have argued that the competition between traditional public schools and charter schools will not be likely to bring about major academic improvements in the public school system.