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Students with disabilities who leave a traditional public school to enroll in a charter school experience improved academic outcomes along with their general-education peers, according to a new study. It鈥檚 a sign, researchers say, of the possible benefits of charter schools for some students who receive special education services.

The , published Jan. 13 from the , analyzed records from more than 1.7 million Michigan K-8 students who switched from a district to a charter school between 2013 and 2018. 

The nonprofit concluded that while students with disabilities spent more time in general-education classrooms and received less intensive services than their peers in traditional public schools, their standardized test scores increased along with those of their classmates who didn鈥檛 qualify for special ed.

Charter enrollment for students with disabilities has historically trailed behind that of public schools. While parents sometimes charter schools after poor experiences with traditional districts, charters also have a regarding special education. One found that charter schools may discourage parents from enrolling their children with disabilities because of concerns about how special education students impact overall academic performance and budgets.

But the results in Michigan show that children who receive special education services do well academically with fewer supports when they enter charter schools, 鈥渟uggesting charters may have adopted, identified and developed approaches to teaching students with disabilities that warrant further study,鈥� the research says.

鈥淐harter schools can be a useful educational tool for parents with students with disabilities,鈥� said Scott Imberman, one of the study鈥檚 authors. 鈥淭hey shouldn’t be quick to rule it out, because it does seem that, for at least a substantial segment of disabled students, charter schools are helpful for them 鈥� at least for their academic performance.鈥�

The study found that math and reading test scores improved for both special education and general education students for at least two years after they enrolled in a charter school. Absence rates also decreased.

These findings match a in Boston, which revealed that children with disabilities who were accepted at a charter school through a lottery system were more likely to meet college-ready benchmarks than special education students in traditional public schools.

Imberman said that because children with complicated special education needs tend not to enroll in charter schools, the study’s results suggest students with less severe disabilities can thrive alongside the general-education population.

The study used students’ individualized education plans to see how special education services changed after enrollment in a charter school. Before switching, all students spent an average of 2.3% of their school day in a special education setting. The rate dropped to 1.2% immediately after entering a charter school but rebounded to pre-charter levels by the third year of enrollment.

Identification rates for special education students also mostly stayed the same 鈥� around 14.5% 鈥� when students switched, but then gradually increased. Two to three years after charter school enrollment, special education identification rates increased 1 to 2 percentage points.

The study also analyzed the use of resource and cognitive programs, two areas of special education services that are tailored to specific student needs. Resource programs often provide services to students who spend most of their school day in a general education classroom, while cognitive programs include more costly and intensive therapies, and students usually work with a designated special education instructor, according to the study. 

Once Michigan students with IEPs switched from a traditional public school to a charter, participation in resource programs increased by 4 percentage points, while cognitive programming decreased by 5 points.

A key limitation of the study is that the research only shows what was written in students鈥� IEPs and what changed post-enrollment in a charter. It does not reveal whether the school actually followed through with required services. 

鈥淥ur data also does not reflect the perspectives of students and families,鈥� the study said. 鈥淚t is essential that students with disabilities are included in future research on school choice to understand whether their needs are being met in different choice contexts.鈥�

Recently, charter schools in and were found to have violated special education laws, and one in suspended students with disabilities at three times the state average.

Imberman said many charter schools aren鈥檛 set up to effectively serve some special education students, especially those with severe disabilities that require costly therapies and assistance.

鈥淭his is a large concern in the back and forth with traditional schools and charter schools, particularly when it comes to students with disabilities 鈥� that even if students with disabilities are entering charters, the ones who are most expensive are the ones who remain in the traditional public schools,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat creates a disproportionate burden on the traditional public schools.鈥�

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