Commission staff present statewide charter school landscape, 2023–24 TCAP findings and estimated 2024–25 preview

At its July 25 meeting the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission received a data briefing on the statewide charter school landscape for school year 2023–24 and an estimated preview for 2024–25.

Rebecca Laidebore, the commission’s data and accountability coordinator, opened by reminding commissioners that Tennessee charter schools are public schools “operated by independent, non‑profit governing bodies” and that most data in the presentation came from the Tennessee Department of Education. Laidebore said the commission’s analysis used the Department’s October 1 enrollment snapshot for 2023–24 and noted statewide figures are lagged by one school year.

Key takeaways the commission heard: - Enrollment and composition: About 4.5% of public school students statewide attended a public charter school in 2023–24. In geographic districts that host charter schools, about 15% of students attended charter schools. The largest concentrations of charter schools were in the Memphis and Nashville areas; Commissioner Laidebore noted Rutherford County will be visible in next year’s data as new schools opened in 2024–25. - Subgroup representation: Charter schools statewide served a higher percentage of Black/Hispanic/Native American (BHN) students and economically disadvantaged students than the resident districts and the statewide average; patterns for English learners and students with disabilities showed more variation. Laidebore…