Texas students in charter schools are not necessarily faring better than their peers in traditional public schools. With significantly lower graduation rates and lower accountability ratings, the state’s planned expansion of charter schools is troubling. In an additional analysis to IDRA’s annual attrition study released in October, IDRA examined the annual dropout and longitudinal graduation rates in Texas charter schools from 2009 to 2016. Highlights are below with updated data in 2021 where possible.
See the printable PDF of this infographic.
This infographic is a companion to “Annual Dropout and Longitudinal Graduation Rates in Texas Charter Schools, 2009-2016,” by Roy Johnson in the Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2016-17 (October 2017) San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association.
Data Sources
Source for graduation and dropout data: Texas Education Agency. (August 2017 and earlier). Secondary School Completion and Dropouts in Texas Public Schools, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 (Austin, Texas: Texas Education Agency). This source also provides data at the campus, district, county, or education service center region levels.
Sources for funding data: Texas Attorney General’s Office, January 2013; Texas Education Agency, 2020
Source for accountability data: Texas Education Agency. (2020). Comprehensive Biennial Report on Texas Public Schools, 2020. This source also provides data at the district and campus level.
Sources for enrollment data*: Texas Education Agency. (2020). Student Program and Special Populations Reports, PEIMS Standard Reports. This source also provides data at the district and campus level.
Texas Education Agency. (2020). Student Enrollment Reports, PEIMS Standard Reports. This source also provides data at the district and campus level.
* Note: TEA masks some data with aggregates fewer than five students in order to comply with the FERPA. In those cases, the most conservative figure of one was used to calculate the percentages in this graph.
Other Resources
IDRA. (July 21, 2017). Keeping the Public in Public Education, testimony presented for the Senate Education Committee (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association).
IDRA. (May 7, 2013). Why More Charter Schools and School Vouchers Are Not Needed in Texas – An IDRA Policy Brief (San Antonio, Texas: Intercultural Development Research Association).
IDRA’s Attrition and Dropout Rates in Texas webpage, with the Texas Public School Attrition Study 2016-17 and related resources
Texas Education Agency. Texas Charter Schools, webpage (Austin, Texas: Texas Education Agency).
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