Rochester City School District Charter Schools: Decreasing the Achievement Gap?

Abstract

The demographics and socioeconomic status of the students attending the Rochester City School District (RCSD) are significantly different than the average student in New York State. The average student in the RCSD is African American and considered economically disadvantaged. These two characteristics and Rochester being an urban location are the perfect combination for a charter school. Most educators create charter schools in urban districts to target students from low-socioeconomic families. This paper focuses on the requirements and logistics that differ a charter school from a traditional charter school to determine whether or not charter schools are decreasing the achievement gap.