Virtual Illusion: Comparing Student Achievement and Teacher and Classroom Characteristics in Online and Brick-and-Mortar Charter Schools

Brian R. Fitzpatrick, Mark Berends, Joseph J. Ferrare, R. Joseph Waddington

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

As researchers continue to examine the growing number of charter schools in the United States, they have focused attention on the significant heterogeneity of charter effects on student achievement. Our article contributes to this agenda by examining the achievement effects of virtual charter schools vis-à-vis brick-and-mortar charters and traditional public schools and whether characteristics of teachers and classrooms explain the observed impacts. We found that students who switched to virtual charter schools experienced large, negative effects on mathematics and English/language arts achievement that persisted over time and that these effects could not be explained by observed teacher or classroom characteristics.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)161-175
Number of pages15
JournalEducational Researcher
Volume49
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 AERA.

Keywords

  • CMOs
  • EMOs
  • achievement
  • charter schools
  • governance
  • quasi-experimental methods/analysis
  • school effects
  • school/teacher effectiveness
  • virtual schools

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Education

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