The Institute on Metropolitan Opportunity at the University of Minnesota Law School has released a report that concludes that Chicago’s massive experiment with charter schools has been a failure.

“Chicago’s charter schools actually underperform their traditional counterparts in most measurable ways,” the report stated.

“Reading and math pass rates, reading and math growth rates, and graduation rates are lower in charters, all else equal,” the report continues. “Although there is some evidence that charter students score higher ACT scores, the finding is statistically significant for only one of four indicators — hardly reason to continue the rapid expansion of the system.”

While the report accounted for enrollment factors including racial composition, native language, income and whether schools had selective enrollment processes, it did not adjust for charters’ more frequent use of expulsions, which presumably improves the schools’ numbers. Nor did it adjust for traditional public schools’ more frequent use of suspensions.

The report recommended that the Chicago Public School District establish a three-year moratorium on new charter schools and complete an impact study on how charter policy has affected the district overall.

Chicago Tonight, Oct. 14

Crain’s Chicago Business, Oct. 13