When compared to entering kindergartners in district neighborhood schools, children entering charter and magnet schools in several of Ohio’s urban school districts performed significantly better on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment-Literacy (KRA-L), which is taken as students begin school and reflects preparation for school rather than outcomes from school. A separate analysis found an association between scores on this required early literacy assessment and 3rd-grade reading and math scores on the Ohio Achievement Test, suggesting that schools enrolling students who do better on the KRA-L also post higher OAT scores. Given recent research that shows Ohio charter students performing at or below the levels of students enrolled in district schools, different preparation levels documented in this report highlight the need to rethink Ohio charter school policy.

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