Individualized attention, creativity, and passionate teachers
Charter schools believe that every student should have the chance to go to a great public school that puts their needs first, regardless of zip code, income or ability level.
By offering individualized attention, creativity, and passionate teachers – students are provided the tools they need to learn and reach their full potential.
Charter public schools play a valuable role in the Atlanta Public School (APS) system and give more Atlanta students greater access to a high-quality, transformative public education. In Atlanta, 19 public charter schools serve more than 9,600 students and reflect the communities they serve. All APS-approved charter public schools are managed by a nonprofit board of directors.
College and Career Ready
There is strong support for charter schools in urban areas. The majority of parents who live in metro Atlanta (72%) would send their children to a public charter school if one was available in their community.
Atlanta public charter school students are graduating college and career ready.
- On the 2019 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI), 11 APS public charter schools surpassed the district average on the College and Career Ready Performance Index.
Black charter school students in the city of Atlanta significantly outperformed their traditional school peers on the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP):
- Atlanta’s African-American fourth-grade charter school students scored 19 points higher in math and 27 points higher in reading than their traditional peers.
- The city’s eighth-grade African-American charter school students outperformed their traditional peers by 20 points in both math and reading.
“KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (KAC) has helped me in my educational journey by preparing and informing me about going to college. By building strong relationships with the teachers and staff, I am able to receive any kind of emotional support in case I need it. Lastly, by having such people as reliable as the staff and teachers in KAC, I am continuing to grow and become a better person from when I first entered the high school.”
“I love Atlanta Neighborhood charter school because it’s a very good school, and the teachers and students care about one another. We have a no bullying program so there are no bullies here. I also like that the school is big, but it’s not too crowded. There aren’t too many people per class.”
“I love Westside because the school is so accepting and inspiring to me. The hallways are filled with affirmation, and the teachers are helpful and encouraging. One of my favorite things this year has been writing and presenting my poetry to the entire school during the Black History Month program. I also love my science class. We recently did a “Tasty Techtonics” project on constructive/destructive forces using graham crackers, marshmallows, and icing. I knew the concepts in my head, but I was able to really comprehend plate boundaries when I saw them visually.”
“I love Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School because it’s a fun, inclusive school that’s different from most schools because of the cool activities we get to do, and I like how it’s structured.
The best part is that I’ve made a bunch of friends easily and also all of the teachers are really nice. My favorite project was something we did in 2nd grade where we tried to see if little cars would go on different slopes and ramps to test gravity. I enjoyed being able to have fun but also learn.”
“I love my math teachers at Kindezi West because they make math fun and understandable. They also allow us to play educational games in class, and we had the opportunity to create and present an original rap. In addition to math, I really like my baseball coach. Not only is he the best coach, but he’s also an outstanding teacher.”
“I love Atlanta Classical Academy because of the culture of learning. The classical curriculum combined with the passion of the teachers really makes a difference. For me, the best part of attending ACA has been the community. Our school community is built off a desire to help others succeed. The students and teachers are always willing to help out to make this a better place. This flows into our school spirit as well, which makes all the school events so fun to attend.”
“I love Kindezi Old Fourth Ward because everyone is so welcoming, kind and loving. The best part of going to my school is being with all of my friends every day. I enjoy all of the subjects at Kindezi because the school’s amazing teachers make learning fun.”
“I like Kindezi West because I feel included in class and everything that I participate in at the school. My favorite subject at Kindezi is English Language Arts, because I enjoy writing, particularly informational text. I also love to learn new words with Latin and Greek roots. Another highlight has been a project that allows us to create an original rap in our math class.”
Needs of Students First
Charter public schools that have received authorization from APS work to put the needs of students first and serve as good partners to the district, their fellow APS schools and the community as a whole.
APS public charter schools have helped improve the district’s overall graduation rates.
- In 2021, the district had an 83.1 percent high school graduation rate. That’s compared to 59.1 percent in 2014, which was prior to the first graduating class of any APS charter high school.
- In 2021, APS’ three charter high schools were among the Atlanta high schools with the highest graduation rates: Charles R. Drew Charter School (99 percent), Atlanta Classical Academy (92.7 percent) and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (85.2 percent). These public charter high schools are not only among the schools with the top graduation rates in the city of Atlanta but also the state of Georgia.
APS charter schools are helping increase the percentage of Atlanta students enrolling in college.
- In 2018, APS had a 62 percent college enrollment rate. That’s compared to 2014 when only 51 percent of APS students enrolled in college.
- In the most recent data released by Atlanta Public Schools, Charles R. Drew Charter School (84 percent) and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (80 percent) had the highest college enrollment rates in the district. That’s compared to the district college enrollment rate of 62 percent.