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Using Traditional School Methods to Assess Online Charters Is ‘Apples to Oranges’ Exercise

A letter to the editor published in Education Week addresses a national study about online charter schools that has raised concerns from many about its methodology.

Mary Gifford and Jeff Kwitowski from K12 Inc. write:

“Measuring online schools through accountability systems designed for traditional schools creates an apples-to-oranges exercise. These systems are often misaligned and do not effectively measure mastery or individual student progress over multiple points in time. States should move to competency-based assessments and student-centered accountability frameworks, which should emphasize academic gains over static proficiency; hold schools more accountable for students who are enrolled longer; and eliminate the perverse incentives that unfairly penalize schools of choice for serving transfer students who enter below proficiency or behind in credits.

Yes, student results in online schools must improve, but so, too, should the metrics and accountability systems.”

Click here to read the full letter.