Accountability subcommittee: charter schools

The agenda is here.
Four items on the agenda, starting with one regarding charter schools.
We only have data on students who attended WPS previously; new information starts here
Perda mentions enrollment of blacks as significantly higher in charters than in WPS. Free and reduced lunch 62.1 % at charters; 70% at WPS.
Significantly different numbers on special ed: 11.3 on all charters, 20.9% at WPS.
O'Connell: knowing this going forward, outreach efforts going forward
"judging by Abby Kelley, and Seven Hills, a more affluent black population that has gravitated towards Abby Kelley, with a more Hispanic population going to Seven Hills"
effort made by these schools to attract particular populations
O'Connell do we have any idea if there has been particular efforts on outreach from charter schools?
Perda: speculation at this point, could very well be correct, could be recruitment going on
"May present some opportunities for the district"
"the grass is always greener on the other side...may feel dissatisfied...maybe I'll give it a try somewhere else"
O'Connell: "academic daycare...impression is that the school focus is on discipline"
suggestion on survey to add facilities; this was a parental concern previously
O'Connell further asks for an outreach effort after the results of the survey are known
Novick: can we break down by recent African immigrants versus African-American students? Yes.
Numbers on Seven Hills come closest to reflecting WPS and thus reflect our struggles
special ed numbers are way out of wack
series of motions here asking for financial impact, asking degree to which Worcester charter schools are meeting the requirements in the Act Relative to the Achievement Gap, asking for WPS to be at the Board of Ed when any of Worcester's charter schools (present or possible)
Biancheria adds that we invite our legislative delegation whenever this comes before the Board of Ed