SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) released the second installment of a four-part series of studies that focus on the response of charter public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new report entitled, How California’s Charter Schools Adapted to Narrow the Digital Divide, explores how quickly charter schools were able to transition to distance learning after the statewide shelter-in-place order of March 2020.
The report’s findings indicate more than half of surveyed charter public schools were able to bridge the digital divide, pioneering ways to ensure underserved students get the devices they need to learn and the internet connectivity to meaningfully engage throughout the year.
“Flexibility is in the DNA of all charters, allowing them to pivot quickly, allocate funds where they’re needed most, and collaborate with community partners to keep learning on track,” said Myrna Castrejón, CCSA president and CEO. “We encourage all schools to consider the research-based practices taking place at the four charter public schools highlighted in this report.”
The four charter public schools, which serve mostly low-income, minority students in different parts of California, are highlighted in the report as success stories in meeting the challenge to mitigate learning loss for students.
Based on both qualitative and quantitative data, the four charter public schools standout because they employed a number of best practices, including building and maintaining strong relationships with family and staff, and fostering innovative partnerships with community organizations, telecommunication companies, and government agencies.
“The schools we profile didn’t wait to see how shelter-in-place worked out, or what other schools or large districts were doing. They just acted right away,” said Jennifer Kress, CCSA Director of Research and author of the report. “They got the technology in the hands of as many students as possible, in the least amount of time, and with the least amount of hassle for their families and staff.”
In April 2020, CCSA surveyed charter schools across the state and received responses from 31 percent of all California charter public schools. By early April 2020, just a few weeks after schools transitioned to remote learning, data shows over half of CCSA survey respondents had already provided internet and/or devices to students.
The four charter public schools named in How California’s Charter Schools Adapted to Narrow the Digital Divide are:
Rocketship Public Schools (San Jose, CA) – Rocketship conducted virtual home visits with families to check on their needs and teach them to use tools like Zoom. They also used parent camps to teach families about the digital tools their kids would use frequently.
Collegiate Charter High School of Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA) – Collegiate staff delivered laptops to every student who needed them within 72 hours of implementing distance learning in the spring of 2020. Staff worked with families to navigate barriers to technology access.
Scholarship Prep Charter Schools (Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties) — By early April, Scholarship Prep had already provided over 700 Chromebooks and 55 hot spots to its students.
St. Hope Public Schools (Sacramento, Ca) — St. Hope ensured each family had access to the internet within just one week.
The CCSA report comes on the same day as the study Charter School Funding: Inequity Surges in the Cities which was conducted by the University of Arkansas Department of Education Reform. That report found charter schools in 18 urban areas across the U.S., including Oakland and Los Angeles, received far less per-pupil funding than traditional schools.
How California’s Charter Schools Adapted to Narrow the Digital Divide is the second installment in CCSA’s annual Portrait of the Movement report. This year, Portrait of the Movement 2020 is comprised of four reports that explore how charter schools in California responded to challenges brought on by the pandemic. The other reports will be released in the coming weeks.
Collectively, Portrait of the Movement 2020 offers the first glimpse at the performance of charter schools in the Golden State during one of the most historic times in U.S. history.
To access the full report, How California’s Charter Schools Adapted to Narrow the Digital Divide, click here.
For more information or for interview requests, contact CCSA Director of Media Relations and Research Ana Tintocalis at atintocalis@ccsa.org.