Systematic Review of Enrollment of Students With Disabilities in Charters Compared to Traditional Public Schools

Abstract

There is a perception that charter schools enroll students with disabilities at a lower rate than traditional public schools, despite federal laws that require charter schools to provide the same services as traditional public schools. This systematic review answers the question: What research exists that explores the representation of students with disabilities in charter schools and the proportionality of that representation in comparison to traditional public schools? The methodology for this review was based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analyses) statement for reporting systematic reviews. Conclusions from this review include the limited amount of research on the topic, the difficulty of comparing enrollment percentages between state systems, and the difficulty in determining factors affecting the enrollment of students with disabilities in charter schools.