Students’ test gains better in areas with more charter schools

Public-school students in districts with lots of charter schools made larger gains on state exams over the past eight years than kids in other areas, according to an analysis released Friday by a charter advocacy group.

Families for Excellent Schools said test scores jumped more quickly in Harlem, Crown Heights, and Bedford-Stuyvesant — where the total number of charters soared from 13 in 2006 to 45 this year — than in neighborhoods where charters were harder to find.

Harlem’s math proficiency now ranks 15th out of 31 districts citywide, up for 24th in 2006. Harlem’s reading scores also shot up, increasing its ranking from 28th to 17th.

Bedford -Stuyvesant went from 29th to 21st in math, and 27th to 20th in reading.

And Crown Heights jumped from 30th in 2006 to 23rd in math, while its English proficiency moved it from 26th to 23rd.

“With 143,000 students in failing schools, the city should boldly expand parent choice and access to excellent charters,” said Jeremiah Kittredge, CEO of Families for Excellent Schools.

“This analysis proves it’s the most effective remedy to the city’s failing schools crisis,” he said.

But charter foes slammed the study — and said gentrification was the real reason the three neighborhoods showed so much student improvement.

“I would tend to think, with that turnover, it would be expected that some of the scores would go up,” said City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Queens). “I think it has to do with the demographics. Ultimately, the people who put out the study have it rigged.”

The city Department of Education also questioned the upbeat figures.

“This is an intellectually sloppy exercise that leaves little room for the facts,” said DOE spokeswoman Devora Kaye.

Families for Excellent Schools organized two rallies this year calling for more space, additional spending per pupil and an increase in the number of charters statewide.

The group released its new study the same week that Mayor de Blasio said he won’t push the state Legislature to increase the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in the city, now set at 114.

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