DETROIT — Recent test data show that some Detroit-area charter high schools are performing at best on a par with public schools, according to a newspaper's analysis published Thursday.
Of 25 charter schools in and around the city, six had higher math or science proficiency scores than Detroit Public Schools' average on the most recent Michigan Merit Exam, The Detroit News reported, and most of the others were doing worse than the district.
More charters chalked up poor results in reading and writing, but they surpassed the Detroit school district in social studies.
Educators say public and charter schools face the same challenges of educating students in Detroit, where many live in poverty.
"Everybody is pretty much in the same boat," said Doug Ross, CEO of New Urban Learning, which runs University Preparatory Academy, one of the few schools to consistently outperform the Detroit district. "We can't change the external environment."
The report comes as Detroit plans to authorize an increase in the