Public charter school students scored worse on state math and English tests than their public school counterparts at every grade level.
Those results came from the Montana Board of Public Education’s first report on public charter school performance released in January.
The state’s first 17 public charter schools opened in 2024. They’re intended to offer students a different way to learn than traditional school. That’s a big reason the Board of Public Education’s executive director McCall Flynn says these test results need to be taken with a grain of salt. She addressed state lawmakers during a recent hearing.
“Looking at one data point is kind of limiting as a comparable data point, and we would recommend considering additional measures to more accurately compare the public charter and non-charter schools,” Flynn said.
The report says many public charter schools focus on reengaging at-risk students or teach in a way that doesn’t emphasize standardized test results.
Anecdotally, education officials report public charter schools are getting students interested in learning, and offering experiences outside the classroom. The schools’ biggest challenges are communication and cash. The report says many Montanans don’t understand the difference between public charter schools and regular schools, and new programs have a hard time getting off the ground without up-front funding.
