Enrollment Levels of Students with Disabilities in Traditional Public Schools and Charter Schools Differed, but Little Is Known about Factors Contributing to Differences

Charter schools enrolled a lower percentage of students with disabilities  than traditional public schools in both school years 2008-2009 and 2009- 2010 (see fig. For example, in the state of New Hampshire, about 6  percent of students in charter schools were students with disabilities  compared to about 13 percent of students in traditional public schools. We also found that, relative to traditional public schools, the proportion of  charter schools that enrolled high percentages of students with disabilities  was lower overall and generally tapered off the greater the enrollment of  students with disabilities. Specifically, the enrollment of students with  disabilities was 8 to 12 percent at 23 percent of charter schools and 34  percent of traditional public schools. However, when compared to traditional public  schools, a higher percentage of charter schools enrolled more than 20  percent of students with disabilities. Charter Schools We Visited Offer Special Education Services, but Faced Challenges with Severe Disabilities

Most of the 13 charter schools we visited reported using multiple  strategies to publicize the availability of special education services in their  school and the charter school’s presence in the community. Charter Schools Reported Tailoring Special Education Services to Individual Students’ Needs

Many of the charter school officials we interviewed reported providing  services specific to each child’s needs. In school year 2009-2010, approximately 3.6 percent of all students enrolled in public  schools were enrolled in charter schools. This study, issued by the Office of  Educational Research and Improvement, examined some of the factors  that may explain the difference in students with disabilities’ enrollment in  charter schools and traditional public schools, most prominently  highlighting a practice where parents of students with disabilities were  being discouraged during the admissions process from enrolling their  students in charter schools. Recommendations for Executive Action

To help charter schools recognize practices that may affect enrollment of  students with disabilities and improve the information available for  monitoring and oversight, we recommend that the Secretary of Education  do the following:  1. Conduct additional fact finding and research to understand the factors  affecting enrollment of students with disabilities in charter schools and  act upon that information, as appropriate. Education agreed with our findings and recommendations. The work was framed around three questions: (1)  How do enrollment levels of students with disabilities in charter schools  and traditional public schools compare, and what is known about the  factors that may contribute to any differences? (2) How do charter  schools reach out to students with disabilities and what special education  services do charter schools provide? (3) What roles do the U.S.  Department of Education, state educational agencies (SEA), and other  entities that oversee charter schools play in ensuring students with  disabilities’ access to charter schools? To address the questions, we used several sources of data, including  data for school years 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, the most recent data  available at the time, from a custom data file provided to us by Education,  which includes counts of students with disabilities at the school-level; site  visit interviews with officials from charter schools and school districts in  three states selected on the basis of states with a large number of charter  schools, a mix in local educational agency (LEA) status and geographic  diversity; and interviews with Education, Department of Justice, and SEA  officials, and charter school authorizers. Open ended  questions were used to guide the discussions and the topics included policy or guidance concerning enrollment of students with disabilities  in charter schools collaboration with other Education offices or Justice’s Civil Rights  Division in providing guidance to charter schools about enrollment of  students with disabilities, any assistance provided to charter schools to pool resources for  serving students with more severe disabilities, any assistance provided to states concerning their monitoring of  charter schools’ implementation of IDEA, and any research sponsored or supported concerning students with  disabilities and charter schools. Metropolitan-Level Analysis

Due to variation in charter school structure and policies across states,  and because decisions about the placement of students with disabilities in  charter schools, traditional public schools, or a separate facility of some  type, are made at the school district level, and placement decisions vary  according to students’ needs, aggregated data may mask differences in  enrollment levels of students with disabilities in charter schools and  traditional public schools at the metropolitan level.
Why GAO Did This Study

While the number of charter schools is growing rapidly, questions have been raised about whether charter schools are appropriately serving students with disabilities. GAO was asked: (1) How do enrollment levels of students with disabilities in charter schools and traditional public schools compare, and what is known about the factors that may contribute to any differences? (2) How do charter schools reach out to students with disabilities and what special education services do charter schools provide? (3) What role do Education, state educational agencies, and other entities that oversee charter schools play in ensuring students with disabilities have access to charter schools? GAO analyzed federal data on the number and characteristics of students with disabilities; visited charter schools and school districts in three states selected on the basis of the number of charter schools in the state, among other things; and interviewed representatives of federal, state, and other agencies that oversee charter schools.

What GAO Found

Charter schools enrolled a lower percentage of students with disabilities than traditional public schools, but little is known about the factors contributing to these differences. In school year 2009-2010, which was the most recent data available at the time of our review, approximately 11 percent of students enrolled in traditional public schools were students with disabilities compared to about 8 percent of students enrolled in charter schools.
GAO also found that, relative to traditional public schools, the proportion of charter schools that enrolled high percentages of students with disabilities was lower overall. Specifically, students with disabilities represented 8 to 12 percent of all students at 23 percent of charter schools compared to 34 percent of traditional public schools. However, when compared to traditional public schools, a higher percentage of charter schools enrolled more than 20 percent of students with disabilities. Several factors may help explain why enrollment levels of students with disabilities in charter schools and traditional public schools differ, but the information is anecdotal. For example, charter schools are schools of choice, so enrollment levels may differ because fewer parents of students with disabilities choose to enroll their children in charter schools. In addition, some charter schools may be discouraging students with disabilities from enrolling. Further, in certain instances, traditional public school districts play a role in the placement of students with disabilities in charter schools. In these instances, while charter schools participate in the placement process, they do not always make the final placement decisions for students with disabilities. Finally, charter schools resources may be constrained, making it difficult to meet the needs of students with more severe disabilities.
Most of the 13 charter schools GAO visited publicized and offered special education services, but faced challenges serving students with severe disabilities. Most charter school officials said they publicized the availability of special education services in several ways, including fliers and placing ads in the local newspaper. Many charter schools GAO visited also reported tailoring special education services to individuals needs, but faced challenges serving students with severe disabilities due to insufficient resources. About half of the charter school officials GAO interviewed cited insufficient resources, including limited space, as a challenge.
The U.S. Department of Educations (Education) Office for Civil Rights has undertaken two compliance reviews related to charter schools recruitment and admission of students with disabilities in three states, but has not issued recent guidance covering admission practices in detail, nor has Education conducted recent research about factors affecting lower enrollment in charter schools. The three states GAO visited already have taken steps to monitor charter schools admission practices. In addition, officials in these three states reported prohibiting disability-related questions on charter school admission forms, in part to protect students with disabilities access.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that the Secretary of Education take measures to help charter schools recognize practices that may affect enrollment of students with disabilities by updating existing guidance and conducting additional fact finding and research to identify factors affecting enrollment levels of these students in charter schools. Education agreed with our recommendations.