Document Type

Report

Publication Date

1-1-2024

Abstract

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Idaho’s Communities of Excellence (COE) consortium, led by the Boise-based nonprofit, Bluum, a $17.1 million Charter Schools Program (CSP) grant. The amount of the award increased to $22.5 million in 2019. Grant funds were distributed over five years with the intent to achieve Idaho’s COE objectives.

The following questions drive Idaho Policy Institute’s (IPI) evaluation of Idaho’s COE:

  1. How are subgrantee schools using funds for school-site implementation?
  2. How do students and parents perceive the quality of schools vis-a-vis their prior school experience?
  3. What are school and staff perceptions of the successes, improvements, and challenges at subgrantee schools?

These questions were addressed using:

  • Demographic data received from the Idaho State Board of Education.
  • Financial data received from Bluum (the non-profit organization serving the fiscal agent for the grant).
  • Standardized test data from the Idaho State Board of Education.
  • Parent, student, and teacher survey data from the Idaho State Board of Education.

Key findings include:

  • At the end of the grant period a little over half of subgrantee schools served similar rates of non-white, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students compared to the statewide average while almost all subgrantee schools served similar rates of special education students compared to the statewide average.
  • Of the $20.4 million subgrants awarded across the seven cohorts, staffing was the most common expenditure overall (29.0%). The next most popular categories are technology (22.0%) and furniture and fixtures (22.0%).
  • When looking at English Language Arts proficiency rates for all COE subgrantee schools, 28.6% had proficiency rates similar to the statewide average, 23.8% had lower rates, and 47.6% had higher rates of proficiency.
  • When looking at math proficiency rates for all COE subgrantee schools, 38.1% had proficiency rates similar to the statewide average, 23.8% had lower rates, and 38.1% had higher rates of proficiency.

Comments

This report was prepared by Idaho Policy Institute at Boise State University and commissioned by Bluum.

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