10 things

The New York City Charter School Center

envisions a future in which all of New York’s students have
access to a first-rate public education, so that, no matter their
background, they can participate in society on fair terms.

The New York City Charter School Center works for that future by

supporting charter schools at every stage. We help new Charter
Schools get started, support existing schools, build community
support, and train new leaders so that highly effective schools
can flourish. These schools, in turn, show us what is possible in
public education.
everyone should
Data shown is for the 2009–10 school year unless otherwise noted.
Data sources: [1] NYC Department of Education; [2] NYC Department of Education
and NYC Charter School Center web survey; [3] NY State Education Department;
[5] NYC Department of Education (2008–09); [6] NYC Department of Education;
[7] NYC Charter School Center analysis of NYC Department of Education and NY State
Education Department data (2007–08); [8] NYC Department of Education, NY State
Education Department, and SUNY; [9] NYC Charter School Center

know about
NYC charter schools by borough
Since the first New York City charter school was established in 1999, more
have opened each year. Charter schools are now located in every borough
27
Bronx

New York City

charter schools
of the city, serving students from all areas and neighborhoods.

27
Manhattan

6
Queens

38
Brooklyn

1
Staten Island
Designed by Big Duck

111 Broadway, Suite 604, New York, NY 10006

tel: 212.437.8300 fax: 212.227.2763
www.nycCharterSchools.org
 5 Charter school students learn more. 8 Charter schools are accountable.

Charter schools are free, Charter school students consistently perform better than traditional public
school students on standardized math and language arts exams. In fact,
recent studies have shown that charter schools are making great strides in
Charter schools are run as nonprofit organizations by boards made up of
educators, community members, and parents. These boards meet publicly,
control the school’s funds and staff, and are responsible for making sure the

independently-run public schools closing the achievement gap between high-income and low-income students. school reaches the goals set out in its charter. If a school does not measure up
at the end of its five-year term, its charter to operate will not be renewed.

77%
open to all New York City students.
NYC charter school renewals 1999–2008
Language arts

6 13
NYC charter schools proficient

69%
Non-renewals Five-year renewals

Language arts
NYC public schools proficient 13
1 Charter schools are public schools. 3 Charter school students are diverse. Short-term renewals

91%
Many people confuse charter schools with People often think that charter schools draw only elite, high-achieving
private schools or school vouchers, but
charter schools are free public schools 99
students. In reality, charter schools help give traditionally underserved
students an opportunity to excel. Charter school students come from a wide
Math 9 Charter schools are in demand.
NYC charter schools proficient
Charter schools
open to all NYC students. Charter schools variety of academic, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, including a higher
in NYC Since the city’s first charter school was established in 1999, more have

82%
get their name from the five-year terms percentage of African American and Latino students than NYC’s traditional
opened each year. Yet charter school lotteries still receive far more student
or “charters” under which they operate,
authorized by either the New York City or
30,400
Charter school students
public schools, and about the same percentage of low-income students.
NYC public schools
Math
proficient
applications than there are seats available.

New York State Department of Education in NYC

or the State University of New York (SUNY).
94% 2009 NYC charter school lottery

8,500
African American
NYC charter schools
& Latino students
6 Charter schools empower teachers.
2 Charter schools try out new ideas. Seats available

71%
African American
Because charter schools are freed from

1,500
Charter schools were created to give students and parents an alternative to centralized curriculum constraints,
traditional public schools. Each charter school is formed around a unique NYC public schools
& Latino students
teachers have increased opportunity to
Teachers choose to work
44,000
Applications
educational vision, with many founded by public school principals or teachers innovate, using creative instructional and
in NYC charter schools received
who want the freedom to enact non-traditional teaching models. Each school’s classroom management strategies. In
vision and goals are described in its charter, as are the standards that will be
used to evaluate whether the school is a success. 70%
addition, charter schools offer teachers
competitive salaries and benefits,
$45k-125k
Free or reduced Salary range for NYC
as well as professional development charter school teachers
With this vision in mind, each charter school designs its own policies and price lunch
NYC charter schools opportunities.
curriculum, and manages its own staff and resources. This autonomy lets
charter schools try out innovative methods, which may include: 71% 10 Charter schools encourage change.
• rigorous academic standards • deep focus on math and literacy
NYC public schools
Free or reduced
price lunch 7 Charter schools do more with less.
or college prep curriculum • parental partnerships Although charter schools make up only a small piece of the public school
• longer school days or school year • selective teacher recruitment and Charter schools in NYC receive less system, they are critical to inspiring wide-scale change in how we think about
• school uniforms performance-based rewards operating funding per student than public education.
• integrated arts education
4 Charter schools serve special needs. traditional public schools, even accounting
Charter schools add options and create diversity in the public school landscape.
for the in-kind services they receive.
Some schools supplement their resources They explore innovative teaching and management strategies, challenging
As public schools, all NYC charter schools are required to offer support for
special education students and English language learners. In addition, several through private grants and fundraising,
but others simply make do with less.
69
NYC charter schools
traditional ideas about how students learn best. The success seen by charter
school students helps raise academic standards across the city and state,
of these schools are specifically dedicated to serving special needs including:
share building space setting the bar higher for what we expect from our schools. And strategies
Additionally, charter schools receive no with public schools
• a school for students with Autism shown to be effective in charter schools can also be applied in public school
funding to construct or maintain school
86%
Rigorous academic
92%
Extended
93%
School uniforms
• a school for students in foster care or the child welfare system
• a school for students who have previously dropped out
buildings. Many schools have been allowed
classrooms, becoming “best practices” for public education.

standards or college
prep focus
to share space with traditional public schools, but these arrangements Additionally, the high level of accountability faced by charter schools can
school day or or specialized • several schools that practice dual-language teaching as an integrated
are unsustainable; available space is shrinking across the city, and many serve as a model for public schools, encouraging teachers and administrators
school year dress code part of their mission
charters outgrow their original buildings as they add grades over time. to provide the best possible education for their students.

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 (projected)
First NYC charter
school opens
10 charter schools 15 charter schools 17 charter schools 22 charter schools 31 charter schools 46 charter schools 58 charter schools 60 charter schools 78 charter schools 99 charter schools 130 charter schools